


The Caroline Complication

by rowanrenault



Category: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 16:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20763698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowanrenault/pseuds/rowanrenault
Summary: Convinced that he isn't destined to fall in love, Fitzwilliam Darcy proposes to Caroline Bingley and plans to live a proper, if loveless, life. However, when his friend Charles Bingley moves to an estate in Hertfordshire, Darcy meets a witty young lady that he can't get out of his mind. Which will win - love or duty?This is a clean Darcy and Elizabeth novella that takes place in the time frame of the original novel.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This book is available in published form on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Complication-Elizabeth-Bennet-Variation-ebook/dp/B06XJQ3YWD/
> 
> I will be posting the entirety of it here, so please don't feel obligated to buy. In the past, I've posted my novels on ff.net as I wrote them. For this one, I'd like to try posting here.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

Mr. Bennet of the estate of Longbourn was not a nervous man. It would have done him ill to be so, as he was surrounded by six women, the majority of whom he found quite foolish. He took much joy in the fact that his second daughter, Elizabeth, seemed to share his general disposition toward the world. It was a relief to have at least one person in that overly feminine household who understood and appreciated his wit. But even the most even-tempered man can have difficulty remaining so if the mistress of the house and the mother of five unwed daughters catches the scent of a well-placed, unmarried gentleman.

From the moment that Mrs. Bennet heard an unmarried man of some fortune named Mr. Charles Bingley had let the nearby estate of Netherfield Park, Mr. Bennet did not receive a moment of peace. She was at him continually to make Mr. Bingley’s acquaintance so that his daughters could have an introduction. There was no denying or deferring her on this point. However, Mr. Bennet did not give up the opportunity to tease her and pretend that he would not meet Mr. Bingley. It was only after she protested that her nerves could no longer stand the strain that he admitted he had visited Mr. Bingley and found him to be an agreeable sort. He further brought the news that Mr. Bingley would be bringing a party to the upcoming assembly room dance.

This news was met with a frenzy of activity by the Bennet ladies. Kitty and Lydia immediately began assembling their outfits and fighting over dresses and trimmings. Elizabeth looked at Jane and raised her eyebrows in amusement as the bickering began.

“I am the elder, Lydia, so I ought to have first pick!”

“You are also the shorter. I need this one to properly cover my ankles!”

As for Mary, she busied herself with trying to determine which piece of music she should prepare in case someone asked her to play. Things did not get any less frantic as the ball approached, especially when they heard from Charlotte Lucas that she was told Mr. Bingley was bringing quite a sizable group to the dance.

The rumors that Mr. Bingley was bringing a large group to the dance were a bit exaggerated. When the Bingley party arrived, it contained Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, and two additional gentlemen. Mr. Bingley’s sisters were Mrs. Hurst, who was escorted by her husband Mr. Hurst, and Miss Bingley, who was escorted by her fiancé Mr. Darcy. The ladies were wearing the newest fashions and many in attendance whispered of the daring nature of their clothing. They were beautiful in a bored-looking sort of way, and they certainly did nothing to contradict the impression that they had no great interest in their present company. Mr. Bingley was perceived entirely differently. He was delighted to make everyone’s acquaintance and inquired most earnestly about his new neighbors. Although Mr. Bingley was universally found to be the most charming of the men, the fact that Mr. Darcy was worth ten thousand a year was whispered around the meeting hall, and many were saddened to discover that he was already spoken for by Miss Bingley.

Elizabeth was unconcerned about Mr. Darcy’s romantic situation. She was much more interested in the amiable Mr. Bingley’s, as he showed a distinct interest in Elizabeth’s dearest sister, Jane. Likewise, the other three Bennet sisters were occupied with things far removed from Mr. Darcy. Lydia and Kitty were giggling as they danced with officer after officer, and Mary was sitting near the door with a critical look on her face. Elizabeth knew that nothing made Mary happier than feeling superior, so she, also, appeared to be having an ideal evening.

Mr. Bingley wasted no time in asking Jane to dance, and Elizabeth, seeing her sister well matched on the dance floor, sought out her dear friend Charlotte Lucas.

“Did you see the look on Miss Bingley’s face?” Charlotte said with a giggle. “She rather looks as if she has smelled something unpleasant.”

“Mr. Darcy appears no more pleased with the evening than she,” Elizabeth responded, watching the couple. “Why do they not dance? It would certainly make for more pleasant amusement than standing around looking sour.”

“Let us move closer and see if they sound more pleasant than they appear,” Charlotte said, pulling on Elizabeth’s arm. Elizabeth allowed herself to be pulled closer to Miss Bingley and Mr. Darcy. To tell the truth, she was curious and welcomed the opportunity to observe them more closely. Charlotte and Elizabeth took two chairs near where the couple was standing.

Elizabeth sneaked looks at them as often as seemed safe. Miss Bingley was certainly beautiful, without a single hair out of place. Mr. Darcy was tall and handsome enough, although he had a face that did not look like it smiled easily.

“You are quite fortunate to have me, darling,” said Miss Bingley. “There certainly is no one else here handsome enough to tempt you.”

Charlotte inclined her head slightly toward Elizabeth, who had to hold back a laugh about the seriousness with which Miss Bingley insulted all the other ladies in attendance.

“You are the picture of loveliness,” replied Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth could no longer hold back her mirth and began to laugh. She quickly began to cough in an attempt to hide her laughter. This drew the attention of the couple, and they stared as Elizabeth coughed over her giggles. She waved off a young man’s offer to retrieve her a cup of water and composed herself.

Later, as she was regaling Jane with the story, she archly added, “It is a good thing that I did not have to rely on Mr. Darcy’s gallantry, for it seems he possesses none. It is fortunate that your Mr. Bingley has enough for both of them.”

Jane blushed prettily. “I do not think that he is _my_ Mr. Bingley,” she responded.

“I doubt that anyone who was there tonight could deny that he wishes to be,” Elizabeth said.

“Lizzy!”

“Well, we shall just need to see him again to become sure of the fact.”

The Bennet daughters did not have to wait long to see Mr. Bingley again. In fact, he called the next day, much to the delight of everyone except Mr. Bennet, who had no quarrel with Bingley, but was deeply displeased with the squealing noises emanating from Kitty and Lydia. Mr. Bingley continued to be cheerful and pleasant, and it was clear to anyone watching that he very much admired Jane. The two youngest girls reminded him of his previous promise to hold a ball and he allowed them to set the date, much to their delight.

For the second time in a fortnight, the household became a whirlwind of preparation. Dresses were negotiated, hemmed, and taken in. Shoes were fought over, and decorations were carefully added. The entire family then fit themselves into the carriage for the ride to Netherfield.

The number of people already at the ball was nearly overwhelming. Elizabeth found herself clutching Jane’s hand, trying not to lose her in the crowd. Even with so many people, Mr. Bingley spied them almost instantly and made his way toward them. Unfortunately, he had been speaking with Mr. Darcy, who came along as well.

“Is it not a wonderful crowd?” Mr. Bingley asked with a smile.

“I would say that your ball is already a success,” Elizabeth said, speaking loudly to be heard over the din. “It is quite the event of the decade. The county of Hertfordshire rarely sees an entertainment like this. They will speak of it for years!”

“Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, have you met my dear friend, Darcy?” Bingley asked.

“We have not been formally introduced, but he was an essential aid to me at the last ball we attended together.”

Mr. Darcy responded with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, come!” said Elizabeth. “Was it not you who sent that helpful young man to check on me during my coughing spell?”

“I am afraid not, madam,” he said with dignity.

“Please pardon my sister, Mr. Darcy. Lizzy’s sense of humor is often perplexing to those who don’t know her well.”

“Now, tell the truth, Jane. My sense of humor is just as frequently perplexing to those that see me every day.”

Jane laughed and allowed that Elizabeth might be correct.

“I find it most agreeable, Miss Elizabeth!” said Bingley. “But now, let us dance. Miss Bennet, if you would do me the honors. Darcy, it appears that Caroline has stepped out for a moment. Perhaps I can persuade you to take Miss Elizabeth for a turn?”

Darcy did not at all look pleased, but he could not turn down his friend’s request.

“Miss Elizabeth, if you would be so kind as to give me this dance,” he said, with a bow.

Elizabeth was equally caught. She did not want to dance with pompous Mr. Darcy, but she looked in Jane’s pleading eyes and softened. For Jane’s sake, she should at least attempt to be civil.

“Of course,” she said, following Darcy to the dance floor.

Elizabeth, who loved to dance, hoped that she would be able to entertain herself enough with the dancing that she would not have to rely on the conversation. She did not have high hopes for Mr. Darcy’s conversational ability.

She looked over at Jane and Mr. Bingley, who were dancing further on down the line. “They look so happy together,” she commented.

Darcy glanced down at them, and Elizabeth thought she saw a flicker of anger cross his face. _However_, she told herself, _he generally looks unpleasant_. Maybe it was just Darcy being Darcy. She could not imagine what fault he could possibly find with Jane, who was absolutely the most perfect person that Elizabeth knew. She tried to brush it off and strike up a conversation.

“How do you find Netherfield, Mr. Darcy?”

“The estate itself has much potential. I am as of yet unsure about the location.”

“Ah, I see. It must be exceedingly difficult for a man of your caliber to associate with the common folk.”

Darcy started at that, and looked Elizabeth in the eyes for the first time. “I apologize if I caused offense,” he said. “Please know that none was intended.”

Elizabeth could not imagine what he _did_ intend with the location comment, but before she could respond, she saw Caroline Bingley enter the ballroom and begin looking about. Elizabeth suspected that she knew who Caroline looked for, and she also suspected that Caroline would be none too pleased to find her fiancé dancing with another woman.

“I believe your intended looks for you, sir. Thank you for the dance. It was educational, to say the least.” And with that, she dropped a small curtsy and left the dance floor, believing that she had fulfilled her duty to Jane. She ran off to find Charlotte Lucas and tell her the story of her odd dance with the very odd Mr. Darcy.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane’s evening had been much more successful than Elizabeth’s. Mr. Bingley had asked her to dance twice, and she thought that he might have asked her a third time if it had not been improper. He also danced with Elizabeth, Kitty, and Lydia, and he attempted to get Mary to dance but was, predictably, unsuccessful.

“Oh Lizzy, is he not absolutely wonderful?” she said.

“He is in every way perfect for you, Jane. I cannot imagine that a proposal will be far behind.”

“Do you really think so? I cannot even imagine how wonderful it would be. I know that it is very early, but I think I may love him.”

“And if he has one jot of sense, which I believe him to, he loves you right back.”

At that, the sisters dissolved into delighted giggles until their mother called them for breakfast.

***

While they ate, a letter arrived for Jane. The entire table seemed to be holding its breath as she opened and read it (aside from Mr. Bennet, who was not going to let a potential suitor get in the way of his meal).

“It’s from Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst!”

Elizabeth did not roll her eyes and was exceedingly proud of herself.

“They invite me to lunch today!” Jane continued.

Mrs. Bennet squeaked delightedly.

“Papa, may I have the carriage?”

“No, you may not,” responded her mother, “for it looks to rain.”

“Mama,” said Kitty, “is that not a _good_ reason for Jane to take the carriage?”

“Good heavens, Kitty, I wonder at your foolishness!”

“If she is a fool, Mama, then so are the rest of us,” said Elizabeth. “What is your scheme?”

“If Jane rides her horse in the rain, she may catch cold. And then Mr. Bingley would be obliged to offer for her to stay until she is well. If we are lucky, she might get an entire week at Netherfield!”

“If we are lucky,” Elizabeth muttered softly enough that only her father could hear her, “she shall not die before she is wed.”

“Well, if she does,” responded her father, “it will be a comfort to know that she died in pursuit of Mr. Bingley.”

Mrs. Bennet was not well pleased with the laughter that erupted from the other end of the table.

***

Jane set off for Netherfield on horseback. Much to Mrs. Bennet’s delight and Elizabeth’s dismay, only minutes after Jane left the skies opened and rain began to pour down. Elizabeth could think of little other than how very long three miles can be when riding through a cold rain, and she had difficulty occupying herself with anything aside from worrying about Jane. The rain lasted for the rest of the day and into the evening, and Elizabeth determined that there was no way that Jane would return that night. Mrs. Bennet repeatedly congratulated herself for her plan, as if she had caused the rain all on her own. Elizabeth finally had to retire to bed with a book earlier than normal, in order to avoid saying something regrettable to her mother.

The following morning a note arrived for Elizabeth from Jane. Their mother’s scheme had worked, at least to some degree. Jane had caught a cold and her hosts were insisting that she remain at Netherfield until she had recovered. Their mother was delighted.

“What a smart idea that was, having Jane go on horseback. Now Mr. Bingley will feel tenderly toward her as she is ill. By the time she has recovered, who knows what other feelings may have grown?”

“Yes,” responded Elizabeth. “If there is one thing that endears a man, it is that special glow that only comes with fever.”

Mrs. Bennet was not well pleased with this response. If Elizabeth had not already decided to attend her sister at Netherfield, her mother’s harping would have pushed her in that direction. She announced her intention to walk to see Jane.

“I should visit, too, if the carriage is to be had,” said her mother.

But the carriage was not to be had, so Mrs. Bennet decided she could not attend Jane. Elizabeth, however, was determined to see Jane, and as she enjoyed a walk, set out on foot toward Netherfield.

The walk was uneventful, as walks go, but Elizabeth appreciated being in the fresh air. Unfortunately, it gave her too much time to worry about Jane. She was very cross every time she thought of her mother’s ridiculous plan, which had inconvenienced Jane, at the least, and possibly put her in danger. It was not as if Jane was having difficulty keeping Mr. Bingley’s attention on her own!

With a head as full of thoughts as Elizabeth’s, the walk went very quickly. She did not notice how dusty her shoes and her dress were until she was ushered into the library and put under the scrutiny of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. She noticed them looking her up and down and casting each other glances as if they could not wait to show their disapproval of her state. Mr. Darcy was also there, and Elizabeth noticed something odd. He did not even seem to notice her dress, because he was staring at her face. She resisted the urge to wipe her face. Was there dirt there too, which caused him to stare? She was altogether relieved when she was led to the room in which Jane was staying.

Jane was quite a bit more ill than she had expressed in the note she had sent Elizabeth. Her cold was very severe, and she was running a fever. Mrs. Bennet had been correct about one thing, though—Mr. Bingley sent a maid to check in on Jane frequently throughout the day, inquiring whether she needed more pillows or a bowl of soup or for the fire to be stoked. His concern for Jane was apparent, and Elizabeth did not think it was simply because of her illness. He seemed to like taking care of her, which endeared him to Elizabeth even more.

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst sat with Jane for some time during the day, entertaining her with descriptions of the last opera they had seen in London. Jane appeared to enjoy speaking with them, but it wore her out quickly, and Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst seemed all too glad to quit the room when Elizabeth suggested to Jane that she might need to rest. After Jane managed to eat a bit more soup, Elizabeth read some light poetry until Jane fell asleep.

***

Although Jane’s room was peaceful, there was quite a bit less tranquility elsewhere in the house. Elizabeth had been quite correct that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were only waiting for her to leave the room before they indulged in criticizing her.

“Did you see the hem of her dress? Six inches dragged through the mud!” Miss Bingley said. Her voice sounded shocked, but her eyes revealed how much she enjoyed the chance to stand in judgment of Elizabeth. “And those shoes! I had half a mind to ask her to leave them outside!”

“I do not know how Miss Jane Bennet is a member of that base family!” added Mrs. Hurst. “She certainly has much more pleasing manners than any of the rest of them.”

“What say you, Fitzwilliam?” said Miss Bingley, addressing Mr. Darcy. “Are you quite as scandalized as the rest of us?”

“Perhaps not quite so much. It seems to me to be something that would be much more concerning to you ladies. I do not care, one way or the other, what Miss Elizabeth Bennet chooses to wear or muck about in.”

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst laughed and continued their discussion of Elizabeth. Darcy gave no indication that he had told a lie, although he had. He had not noticed the mud on Miss Elizabeth’s hem; rather, he had noticed how the walk had brought a healthy color to her cheeks. He was not sure why this had occurred to him, as he cared not a bit for Elizabeth Bennet. It was an interesting fact and nothing more. While the women talked, he got up and located a book. Settling down into a reading chair, he was struck by how difficult it was to keep his mind on the book rather than on a certain pair of fine eyes.

***

Dinner at Netherfield was a perfunctory affair. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst displayed an appropriate amount of concern over Jane, but it was clear to Elizabeth that they were going through the motions of caring rather than being honestly interested in Jane’s health. Mr. Bingley was very concerned and asked Elizabeth several times whether he ought not call for the doctor. Mr. Hurst was substantially more interested in his dinner than in anything else, and Mr. Darcy spoke to no one except Miss Bingley, and then, only with her prompting. There was only one thing that seemed out of the ordinary. On two occasions, Elizabeth glanced over from her discussion with Mr. Bingley to see Mr. Darcy staring at her quite intently. This seemed to happen when Miss Bingley was busy speaking with her sister. Elizabeth and Bingley certainly were not discussing anything that they did not want overheard, and Mr. Darcy could have easily joined in the conversation, but he seemed content to watch her. It made her nervous. What on earth was going through his head? Did he really dislike her so very much that he could not even bother to converse with her? It made her feel awkward and, to tell the truth, just a little bit put out. She understood that he did not have a high opinion of her, but for him to cross the line into rudeness must mean that he found her very offensive.

Elizabeth tried to put Mr. Darcy out of her mind as she joined the others in the library after dinner. She settled in with a novel, content to read and to watch the interactions between the people in the room. Mr. Darcy began writing a letter, and Elizabeth ascertained that it was to his sister based on Miss Bingley’s incessant talking.

“Do tell my dear sister that I cannot wait to see her again! It has been far too long, has it not, since we have been to Pemberley? We must visit Georgiana as soon as possible. She is quite the dearest person to me and I would so love to speak with her. Did you tell her what I said?”

“Yes,” replied Darcy. “I have mentioned your fervent desire to see her once again, and I am certain she shares your sentiments.”

Georgiana Darcy was largely responsible for the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley had befriended Miss Darcy nearly immediately upon meeting her, and the two women were very close. It had been Georgiana who begged her brother to marry Miss Bingley.

“Never have I had a sister, and I can imagine none better!” she had cried, and her words had their desired effect. Darcy knew that it was time for him to take a wife. Every man needs an heir, particularly a man with an estate as grand as Pemberley. Caroline Bingley was not the match that many men of Darcy’s standing would have wished for, but it was exceedingly important to him that his sister was happy. So he placed her wishes even above his own and proposed to Caroline. Certainly he could have made a better match. His aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, insisted that he had been betrothed to her daughter, Anne, since birth, although Darcy suspected that this betrothal was more an invention in his aunt’s mind than an actual agreement. But he could not have made Georgiana happier with his choice of bride. That, in and of itself, was enough to make Darcy think he made the right choice, that is, until he had come to Netherfield. The longer he stayed, the more he found himself wondering if he had not been too hasty in his engagement. Hasty or not, the decision was made. Caroline would be his wife, Georgiana would be delighted to have a sister, and Darcy would continue doing what was right, regardless of how he felt about it.

Elizabeth knew none of the specific history, but she could detect a tone in Caroline’s voice that made her wonder if the affection shown for Miss Darcy was real. There was entirely too much enthusiasm in the way she spoke that made Elizabeth think that perhaps Miss Darcy was simply a means to Miss Bingley’s end, that end being a wealthy and respectable husband. For a moment, she felt sorry for Mr. Darcy. Then she realized who it was that she was feeling pity for, shook her head, and returned to her novel. Darcy certainly was not in need of her concern.

The evening continued in much the same way. Mr. Bingley, Miss Bingley, Mr. Hurst, and Mrs. Hurst played loo, although Miss Bingley did not take a single trick as she spent all her time attempting to gain Mr. Darcy’s attention. Elizabeth turned down an invitation to play, preferring her novel. Darcy finished his letter and then found a book of his own, attempting to read while dealing with Caroline’s continual interruptions. Elizabeth hid a smile as Mr. Darcy deftly dealt with his fiancée’s continual prattle. After all, he was the one who chose his wife-to-be.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth spent most of the night in Jane’s room and was much relieved when Jane’s fever broke in the early morning. However, she hoped for her mother’s opinion on whether a doctor ought to be called, so she sent a note to Longbourn. Very quickly after the note was dispatched, Mrs. Bennet arrived at Netherfield with her three youngest daughters and her best Sunday dress. Elizabeth noted that Lydia and Kitty had likewise dressed well, and wondered at their effort for a home that housed no officers. Mary was, as always, Mary.

Mrs. Bennet visited with Jane, after which she declared Jane far too ill to attempt the trip back home. Upon hearing this, Mr. Bingley said that Jane must stay for as long as she needed for a full recovery, and Mrs. Bennet nearly tripped over her words thanking him effusively.

“Such a gentleman, Mr. Bingley! I do so appreciate everything that you’ve done for Jane!”

“Do not think twice of it, madam. All that matters is Miss Bennet’s health.”

For once, Elizabeth and her mother agreed - both were well pleased to hear how concerned Mr. Bingley was with Jane’s health. However, that was where the agreement ended. Based on Jane’s own wishes, Elizabeth campaigned for a trip home, and Mrs. Bennet just as fiercely declared that if Jane were to travel, she might catch a chill and be even more ill than she already was.

Lydia and Kitty seemed generally uninterested in Jane’s health. They bothered Miss Bingley with far too many questions about her upcoming nuptials.

“When will it be? Oh, how divine! And what will you wear? Did Mr. Darcy give you a token when you became engaged? It all seems so very romantic!”

Elizabeth fancied that she could see Mr. Darcy attempting not to roll his eyes at such foolishness, but Miss Bingley did not seem to mind the questions. She answered with grace and poise, until Lydia, in her usual way, crossed the line of propriety.

“Mr. Darcy is quite a catch! I have my eye on a young man as well—he looks very dashing in red—and I could do with some advice on how to get him to propose. How did you convince Mr. Darcy?”

Miss Bingley looked shocked and said that Mr. Darcy had required no convincing. She then shot a pointed look at Mr. Darcy until he commented that he had not required any inducement to enter into such a pleasing arrangement. To Elizabeth, he did not sound especially enthusiastic, but he played his part as was expected of him.

Elizabeth noticed Mary eyeing the pianoforte and realized that she would have to intercede to keep her family from further embarrassing themselves (and by extension, Jane).

“Mama,” she said, “surely my father needs the carriage today?”

“Oh yes!” cried Mrs. Bennet. “We have imposed on your hospitality for too long. Mr. Bingley, thank you again for being such a wonderful host to our Jane. We will miss her at home fearfully, but her health comes first!”

“I know you will miss her, but it has been lovely to have her at Netherfield. Would that she was not ill for most of the time!” said Mr. Bingley.

Good-byes were said, and Mrs. Bennet and her three youngest were sent on their way back to Longbourn. Elizabeth wondered if the Bennets’ behavior would earn a comment from Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. She did not have to wait long to find out.

“Goodness, Miss Eliza, your sisters are keen to know details of our engagement! I supposed one of the risks of having five girls out at once is that the younger may marry before the elder. Miss Lydia, in particular, seems to have her eye on an engagement quite soon. You and Miss Bennet shall have to hurry to make it to the altar first!”

Elizabeth knew that her sisters’ eagerness was being mocked.

“You must pardon Kitty and Lydia,” she said, addressing Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. “They have not had the benefit of education in the finest schools as some others have. It does give them somewhat of an excuse for their behavior. They do not yet know better. I hope someday that they will follow the path of charming kindness that the two of you have so amply demonstrated.”

With that, she returned to Jane’s side, breathing a sigh of relief that her social torment was at an end.

***

The following day, Jane felt well enough to return home. Elizabeth knew that their mother would be vexed at their sudden arrival after her speech the day before about Jane staying at Longbourn, but Jane was adamant, and Elizabeth cared far more for Jane’s comfort than their mother’s. Mr. Bingley loaned them a carriage to take them home and helped Jane climb in. Mr. Darcy likewise offered his hand to Elizabeth so that she could more easily ascend. Elizabeth was startled at the warmth of his hand and glanced up to see him looking directly at her. Their eyes locked and something passed between the two of them. Elizabeth later thought that it had been a look of understanding, but in what way could Mr. Darcy understand her? And why did he continue to knock her off balance at every turn? She could not make any sense of it, unless it was some sort of cruel trick that the rich and bored play amongst themselves. One thing was certain. She had had enough of Mr. Darcy for quite some time, thank you very much.

Darcy had a much different reaction to the touch of Elizabeth’s hand. It had felt as if sparks were running up his arm when she placed her hand in his. He was afraid that he could no longer ignore the attraction that she held for him. But what was the use in acknowledging it? It needed to go away. He was promised to another, and nothing could change that. He gave himself the remainder of the day to remember the feeling of her hand in his before he had to begin the monumental task of forgetting her.

***

Mrs. Bennet was indeed displeased at Jane and Elizabeth’s arrival home.

“You were well placed at Netherfield! Why, Jane, would you desert such a promising position?”

“I did not want to trespass on Mr. Bingley’s good will any more than necessary, Mama.”

“Well, I should think that Mr. Bingley did not mind your trespassing! Dear me, how will I ever see my daughters married if they will not make marriage their main goal?”

“Mama, I do not think you have any cause for worry,” said Elizabeth. “Mr. Bingley seemed delighted to have Jane there and sad to see her leave. I do not think it shall be long before he wants to see her again.”

“Oh, if he would just propose! Mr. Bennet, do you think he shall propose soon?”

“Hmm?” said Mr. Bennet. “Pardon me. I was just thinking on this letter that I recently received. We are to have a guest.”

“Oh, Mr. Bennet, you do tease me! Is Mr. Bingley coming for dinner?”

“No. This letter is from a gentleman that I have never seen before in my life.”

“Oooh, Kitty!” said Lydia. “Perhaps it is an officer. Perhaps it is Denny! Papa has never met him.”

“It is not an officer, either,” replied Mr. Bennet. “It is from my cousin Mr. Collins, upon whom Longbourn is entailed upon my death.”

“Oh, that terrible Mr. Collins!” said Mrs. Bennet. “He is taking food out of my own dear girls’ mouths. Why can he not just leave us in peace?”

“Perhaps you should hear what he has to say, my dear.”

Mr. Bennet read the letter aloud to his wife and daughters. Mr. Collins described his position as a clergyman under the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and also his desire to make amends to the Bennet girls for his being the recipient of the entail. He ended the letter with an announcement that he would be coming to visit for nearly two weeks. Even Mrs. Bennet could not complain about the desire to make amends. She granted that Mr. Collins might not be such a terrible young man, and hurried off to determine what would be served for dinner.

Elizabeth had not been especially impressed with the letter and confided so to her father. He agreed that Mr. Collins came across sounding a bit pompous and silly, but Elizabeth could detect a certain glee in his voice. Although he tired of always being surrounded by silly people, the prospect of a new one to needle delighted him to no end.

“I think the sentiments of the letter, although somewhat common, were well conveyed,” said Mary. She appeared more excited than Elizabeth had seen her in some time to welcome their new guest.

Their father just raised his eyebrows and dropped a wink at Elizabeth. The impending visit from Mr. Collins had him in fine spirits.

***

The family did not need to wait long to meet Mr. Collins. He pulled up in a carriage within the hour of Mr. Bennet sharing the letter. The girls all rushed outside to see this cousin who would have the power, upon their father’s death, to turn them out of their home. He was generally discovered to be wanting. He was tall and heavy looking with very formal manners, but there was a certain lack of tact and humility that did not endear him to his hosts.

“Ah, Mrs. Bennet, thank you and your fair daughters for receiving me,” Collins said with a bow. “It is most fortunate that Lady Catherine de Bourgh could spare me so that I could visit. I worried about leaving her, but she assured me that my spending time with family was of the utmost importance. And what is important to Lady Catherine is likewise important to me!”

Mrs. Bennet was not quite sure how to respond to this outpouring of information, so she introduced her daughters and they curtsied to meet him.

“How delightful you are!” said Mr. Collins. “I do so very much look forward to speaking with you all further.”

Elizabeth noticed that he addressed this comment almost completely toward Jane, who seemed somewhat bewildered by the attention. She hid a smile. Who did not fall in love with Jane at first sight? All that showed was that Mr. Collins’ eyes were working perfectly well.

As the day continued, Mr. Collins proved to be all that Mr. Bennet hoped he would be: silly and proud, but obsequious at the same time, especially where Lady Catherine de Bourgh was concerned. He paid special attention to Jane, telling his stories directly to her and dropping silly compliments that did nothing but embarrass her. Finally, in an uncharacteristic fit of tact, Mrs. Bennet took him aside and mentioned that Jane was as of recently nearly engaged to a wonderful young man, but that all the other Miss Bennets were unencumbered. It was around that time that Mr. Collins switched his attention from Jane to Elizabeth.

“Cousin Elizabeth, you do have the most delightful way with words! I am sure that my patroness Lady Catherine would be very pleased with you if she were to meet you.”

“Oh, Mr. Collins,” said Elizabeth, careful not to catch her father’s eye lest she explode with laughter, “I cannot imagine that anyone so great as Lady Catherine de Bourgh would have the slightest interest in anything that I might have to say. We must consider it fortunate, for her sake, that it is unlikely I should ever have the opportunity to make her acquaintance.”

“Perhaps that opportunity will come sooner than you think, dear cousin,” said Mr. Collins with a secretive smile.

Elizabeth was seized with another coughing fit, which ended with her mother pounding on her back slightly more vigorously than was strictly necessary. Mrs. Bennet was pleased with the turn of the conversation and did not want to lose a potential match because Elizabeth was acting poorly.

***

The Miss Bennets were determined not to let Mr. Collins ruin what otherwise appeared, by all measures, to be an agreeable day. Kitty and Lydia proposed a walk to the nearby village of Meryton and Elizabeth said that she would join them, as she could do with some air. Once he had heard that, Mr. Collins announced that he too longed for a walk and would accompany them, “as my presence as a clergyman can only lend respectability to this undertaking.” Mary quickly stated that she would join them as well, which struck Elizabeth as strange. Mary was not normally one for a walk. She thought them a waste of time that could be put to much better use. However, it was becoming increasingly apparent that one Bennet daughter felt somewhat more kindly toward Mr. Collins than the others, and it was not difficult to ascertain which that was.

“Why, Mary,” said Kitty, “I have never known you to like a walk!”

“I suspect it is not the walk but the company,” Lydia replied with a smirk.

“Oh, stop it,” said Elizabeth. “It is not as if you two long for the clear head that a walk can bring. You just wish to be in Meryton so you can speak with the officers.”

“If Mr. Bingley were to have another ball, I would do a fair amount more than just speak with them,” said Lydia, dancing about the lane.

“I will not have you speaking that way!” said Elizabeth sharply. “Those in our family know that you just mean that you would like to dance, but others who do not know you so well could misunderstand, and your honor—our entire family’s honor—could be besmirched.”

“Oh, Lizzy, must you be determined to ruin everyone else’s fun just because you are having none?” said Lydia with a pout. “I wish you would meet a handsome officer and learn to enjoy yourself more!”

Elizabeth snorted. “A handsome officer is certainly not the thing in which I am interested!”

She realized too late that her declaration had encouraged Mr. Collins in a way that was entirely unintended. He beamed at her as if she had made the statement just for his benefit. Elizabeth sighed inwardly. How on earth was she going to deal with this?

Mary had much to say in regards to this.

“You crew can have all the officers!” she said. “For me, the best match would be a clergyman.”

All heads turned to see Mr. Collins’ reaction to this statement. He did not seem to understand the import of what Mary had said; he just continued smiling his simpering smile at Elizabeth. She, however, was a deal more astute than he (to put it mildly), and she was beginning to see an elegant solution to several problems at once.

***

The group had barely arrived in town before Lydia and Kitty spotted Mr. Denny, who was one of their favorite officers. They were even more excited to see that Denny had brought a friend. Mr. Wickham had newly joined the militia and was to be stationed in Meryton.

For all of Elizabeth’s talk of not being interested in an officer, she had to admit that Wickham was pleasing to the eye. He had a quick smile and lively eyes, and she found herself engaged in conversation with him quite quickly.

“Mr. Wickham, it is good that you have come,” she said, “for the young ladies of Hertfordshire have long been in need of more eligible men to fight over.”

“And who says I am eligible, or even suitable, Miss Bennet? I could have a trail of broken hearts behind me all the way to London.”

“I do not suspect that you would mention it if it were the truth,” said Elizabeth with a laugh, “so I can only expect you are teasing me. If you are looking for young ladies to tease, you might have better luck with my sisters.”

“Ah, but your sisters do not have what I look for in a lady,” he replied. “I rather fancy quickness of thought and a pleasant sense of humor, especially when both can be found wrapped up in a pretty package.”

Elizabeth felt her cheeks color at this. He had not crossed any lines of propriety, but he was dancing close to them. She was alarmed to discover that she did not mind.

“Cousin Elizabeth,” Mr. Collins interjected, with a stern look at Wickham. “Ought we not to return home? I told your mother that I would provide a scripture reading before lunch, and the time draws near.”

“I would not want to keep you from piety,” Wickham said with a twinkle in his eye. “Miss Bennet, I am delighted to have met you. I hope that I will get another opportunity soon.”

Afraid that her voice might tremble, Elizabeth just dropped a curtsy, and the group began their way back home.

***

“I did not like that Mr. Wickham,” huffed Mr. Collins. “He is far too familiar with ladies that he has just met.”

“Any ladies in particular, Mr. Collins?” asked Lydia sweetly, fluttering her lashes.

“I feel that it is proper that I defend all of you,” Mr. Collins said, oblivious to Lydia’s insinuation. “Your parents would expect that of me, as would my patroness Lady Catherine, and, if I dare speak for Him, God Himself.”

“I am not sure that there is any need to involve any of those whom you have just mentioned,” said Elizabeth, trying to keep her tone light. “I think you may have misunderstood what he was saying.”

“I misunderstood nothing, Cousin Elizabeth, and I will defend your honor to my dying day!”

Elizabeth inwardly sighed. This situation was not getting any better. She decided that it was her responsibility to move things along. “Mary, what is your opinion of the situation?”

“I think it was very lucky Mr. Collins was there, or that man might have tried to take liberties with us!”

Elizabeth bit her tongue to keep from saying that Mr. Wickham would do no such thing, and let what Mary said resonate with Mr. Collins.

“Quite right, Cousin Mary,” he said, really looking at her for the first time. “I do think that you are correct.”

Elizabeth smiled to herself. The seed was planted. Now she only needed to let it grow. She intentionally walked a bit behind Mary and Mr. Collins and delighted to see them continuing their conversation the entire way back to Longbourn.


	4. Chapter 4

The following day, Mr. Collins stood after lunch.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, but I hoped I could have a few minutes to speak to my cousin alone.”

Mrs. Bennet immediately flew into a state of excitement. There was only one reason that a proper man would wish to speak with a proper woman alone, and that was to propose marriage. Think of it—Jane nearly engaged, and the problem of Lizzy solved as well? Nothing could be more ideal.

“Oh, yes!” she said. “Come, all of you, and give Mr. Collins and Lizzy the room.”

“My dear Mrs. Bennet, you mistake me,” said Mr. Collins. “I would speak with Miss Mary.”

The room seemed to gasp all at once. Mary’s cheeks colored, and she appeared to be the most legitimately happy that Elizabeth could recall seeing her.

Mrs. Bennet opened her mouth, then closed it, then finally recovered her composure enough to say “Of course! Everyone else, out.”

Now, of course, “out” meant that they left the room, but they did not go far. Mrs. Bennet pressed her ear against the door to hear what was happening. Jane and Lizzy stood behind everyone else and shared a smile.

“Oh!” said Mrs. Bennet. “Oh! He is telling her why he wishes to take a wife!”

They waited some minutes as Mr. Collins had apparently put together quite a speech.

“And she says yes!”

With that, the eavesdroppers could no longer stand it and burst back into the room. Mary was beaming and had tears on her cheeks. Mr. Collins looked exceedingly happy.

“My darling Mary!” Mrs. Bennet said, sweeping Mary up into an embrace. All of her sisters crowded around, smiling and congratulating the couple.

However, one step still needed to be taken. Mr. Collins solemnly visited Mr. Bennet in the study and asked for permission to wed Mary. Elizabeth was very glad that she was not in the room, as there is no way she and her father would have maintained their collective composure. As it was, she heard Mr. Bennet snicker-cough in very much the same way she was known to do (indeed, she had learned the trick from him). Mr. Collins seemed not to notice, though, and emerged from the study beaming to announce that Mr. Bennet very much wished for the union to take place, and had been so overcome with emotion that he had actually appeared to have tears in his eyes. Elizabeth bit her lip, knowing that no good would come of her having a laughing fit as well.

***

It was a joyous time in the Bennet household. Mary was to marry the designee of the entail, which solved two problems at once. Elizabeth was relieved that Mary was to be the problem solver and that it did not fall on her shoulders. Jane glowed (as did her mother) with thoughts of Mr. Bingley, and soon something happened that delighted the younger girls as well. When Mr. Bingley heard of the engagement, he offered to host a ball in honor of the engaged couple.

“I do think it to be proper for a clergyman such as myself to attend a ball in his own honor,” said Mr. Collins, “particularly because it will give me an additional opportunity to serve as a pious example for the people of Hertfordshire.”

“Yes,” replied Mary, solemnly. “I do believe that you have a duty to share your grace with the world.”

Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet were both getting much better at restraining themselves during these moments, as they had had plenty of practice over the previous few days.

The ball had to be put together quickly to accommodate Mr. Collins’ return to Hunsford, but Mr. Bingley managed, and it was quite as much of an event as his previous ball.

Darcy knew that he would struggle. There was no chance that Elizabeth would not be there, as the ball was in her sister’s honor. In addition, Caroline had traveled to London to make arrangements for her wedding dress, so he did not even have her to distract him. Thankfully, he did have a lifetime of not letting his feelings show, so he prepared himself as well as he could for what was coming.

It was almost too much for him when Elizabeth walked into the ballroom, dressed in a pink dress that picked up the color in her cheeks. He thought back to the touch of her hand, and he knew that, just for a moment, his emotions were showing on his face. He composed himself as quickly as possible and wandered out to the gardens where he did not need to be so guarded.

As for Elizabeth, she gave Mr. Darcy not a single thought. She was delighted to attend a ball in her sister’s honor, she was delighted that Mary was happy, and she was especially delighted that one of the officers in attendance was paying particular attention to her friend Charlotte Lucas. However, there was one thing that did not delight her. She had hoped to see Mr. Wickham at the ball, as she knew that all the local officers had been invited. However, no matter where she looked, she could not find him.

She finally located Mr. Denny and enquired after Mr. Wickham.

“It was the strangest thing,” Denny said. “He seemed thrilled at the idea of a ball, but when he found out it was at Netherfield, he suddenly said that he had other plans for the evening. I have not been able to get out of him what those plans are.”

Curious. Did Mr. Wickham and Mr. Bingley have a history of some sort? Elizabeth could imagine no other reason why the mention of Netherfield would make him change his mind. She made a note to ask him the next time she saw him.

Darcy was not to be left on his own for the entire evening. Bingley found him and cried that there were young ladies sitting because there were not partners to be had. It was only proper that Mr. Darcy make himself available. With a long sigh, he followed Bingley back inside. He was not paying close attention to where Bingley was headed; if he had been, he might have been able to avert the coming crisis. Bingley led him right to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who was seated. There was no graceful way to avoid dancing with her.

“Miss Elizabeth, would you do me the honor?” he said with a stiff bow.

“Mr. Darcy, I expected that you would have a dance partner for tonight. Where is your intended?”

“Caroline has traveled to London.”

“Ah, so you are here all alone. Yes, I will dance with you. I know how fond you are of the activity, and I would not want to deny it to you.”

He glanced at her, unable to tell if she was joking or if she misunderstood him that badly. The sparkle in her eyes answered his question for him. If only she were not so charming (_and lovely_, added his mind), it would be easier to put her from his thoughts. He knew that the upcoming dance would be both blissful and terribly difficult for him.

Elizabeth danced as she did everything else that she loved: with delight. It did not matter to her that she was once again partnered with Mr. Darcy. A quick glance down the line showed Jane dancing with Mr. Bingley and Charlotte dancing with the officer she had been speaking with. Mary and Mr. Collins were seated and receiving congratulations from all of the attendees. Mrs. Bennet was speaking with her friends, and Elizabeth did not begrudge her mother her happiness in this moment. If only, she thought, there was someone there for her as well, and her thoughts returned to the charming Mr. Wickham.

Darcy recognized that Elizabeth’s mind was wandering. He tried to reassure himself that this was an auspicious state of affairs. The less he stood out to her, the better. Imagine the trouble if she were to reciprocate! Unfortunately for him, he imagined a bit too much. In his mind, he was just lifting her delicate hand to kiss it when –

“I would imagine, Mr. Darcy, that it is quite difficult to have Miss Bingley away.”

He shook the dangerous thoughts out of his head. “Caroline prefers to do things according to her own schedule, and I am accustomed to that,” he said.

“How fortunate to make a match with the sister of your dearest friend!” said Elizabeth. “She is truly beautiful.”

“But there are things aside from beauty that make an ideal match.”

Why had he said that? He was slipping, and Fitzwilliam Darcy never slipped. At least, he never had prior to meeting Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Recently he was making quite an enterprise of it.

“I imagine so,” said Elizabeth. “I suspect that sort of love might come along only once in a lifetime.”

Darcy suspected that some people might not even get that - he had never intended to, in spite of all the accomplished women with whom he was acquainted. But here she was in front of him, and each time he beheld her, each time he spoke with her, it became more and more difficult to remind himself that, even if she felt the same way, he could never have her.

The dance ended. Darcy bowed and made his escape as quickly as was politely possible. He could not risk another mistake. The next one might give him away entirely.

Elizabeth stared after him. She had hoped that, for Jane and Bingley’s sake, she and Mr. Darcy might be cordial with one another. Each time she spoke with him he made it increasingly clear that he could barely stand to be in the same room as her. What was so deficient about her that caused such a reaction?

***

The ball had been wonderful, and the entire Bennet family practically floated home (aside from Mr. Bennet, who was far too sensible to float). Elizabeth had managed to put Mr. Darcy from her mind and dance with more amenable partners, although the person that she most wanted to dance with was not in attendance. She wondered again what could have kept Mr. Wickham.

She did not have to wait long for an answer. The Bennet girls attended a dinner at their Aunt and Uncle Philips’ house in Meryton. The Philips had also invited several of the officers to dine with them, much to Lydia and Kitty’s glee. One of those officers was Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth was nearly as giddy as her sisters, although she hid it much better than they.

“Miss Elizabeth! What an exquisite pleasure to see you once again!”

Elizabeth felt her cheeks turn the same color that they were after a brisk walk. “Mr. Wickham, I did not know that you would be present tonight.”

“I thought I quite owed it to you after my absence at the Netherfield ball.”

“Certainly, sir, you do not owe me anything, although I did notice that you were not there.”

He smiled at her. “Is there anything more wonderful in life than to be missed by a pretty girl? Know that if the situation were different, I would have requested a scandalous number of dances from you.”

“Scandalous! Well, perhaps it was best that you were not there. May I enquire as to the situation that delayed you?”

“I was being vague when I said “situation”. To speak plainly, there was a person there who has done me grievously badly.”

“No! Who is this person?”

“Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Have you been introduced?”

“I have.” Elizabeth was not particularly surprised to learn the name of the man. Clearly her first impression of him had been correct. “In what way has he wronged you?”

“It is a sad story of an honorable man’s last desire thwarted. Mr. Darcy and I have known each other since childhood. My father was Mr. Darcy’s father’s steward, and the elder Mr. Darcy was my godfather. The younger Mr. Darcy and I came up together. I was a favorite of his father, and Darcy and I were quite like brothers.”

Elizabeth was enthralled by this story, but propriety stopped the many questions she had. She stayed silent in the hope that Mr. Wickham would answer those questions as he talked.

“The late Mr. Darcy had always planned to give me the best living he had available. I was raised for the church and I had never imagined my life anywhere else. However, after Mr. Darcy’s death, the younger Mr. Darcy gave away the living that was to be mine to another man.”

Elizabeth could stay silent no longer. “But how could he ignore his father’s will?”

“I am afraid that the promise the late Mr. Darcy gave to me was of the informal sort. However, I took both the man and the son to be gentlemen and assumed that I would receive my due.”

“How horrible, that he denied you your living!”

“I am exceedingly lucky that Denny told me of the opportunity here in the militia. A military life is not what I had planned, but it is a far cry better than being destitute.”

“I am so angry on your behalf!” said Elizabeth. “I know now that Mr. Darcy is deceitful in addition to being proud. How I wish more people knew how ill he used you!”

“What is done is done, and I have made my peace. And one delightful thing has come of it. If I had entered the church, I might never have met you.”

Elizabeth blushed once again. She seemed to be making a habit of it every time she was around Mr. Wickham.

***

Jane wore a worried look when Elizabeth told her what she had learned from Mr. Wickham.

“I cannot reconcile what you are telling me with the Mr. Darcy I know.”

“I do not understand how you feel that a man as unpleasant as Darcy is incapable of such behavior.”

“I just do not believe that anyone who is as close to dear Mr. Bingley as Mr. Darcy is could behave so poorly.”

“Do you doubt Mr. Wickham?” Elizabeth asked.

“He has given me no reason to do so.”

“Dear Jane. Were that we all as generous in spirit as you. It is clear that both of them cannot be thought of highly.”

“Still, I would rather hear Mr. Darcy’s side of things before making a judgment.”

“I cannot imagine what he could possibly say to acquit himself, but as I love you more dearly than anyone, I will speak no more of the subject.”

Elizabeth kept her word - at least for a time.

***

Mr. Collins returned to his home of Hunsford, with the intention of returning in a month to marry Mary. This provided enough time for the banns to be read and for the Bennets to prepare, but it was so busy that Elizabeth had little time to consider the situation between Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Bingley once again opened his house to the Bennet family and their guests for the wedding breakfast. Elizabeth knew that Mr. Bingley was kind by nature, but she suspected that he also did not mind the opportunity to spend time with Jane. They were still getting along wonderfully, and Elizabeth suspected that she was not alone in anticipating another engagement any day.

The day of the wedding arrived quickly. Mary was being bossier than normal, and Elizabeth knew it was just her way of working through the nerves. Mary, dressed in her finest, was escorted by her family to the church. Elizabeth suspected that there had never been two people who took a ceremony more seriously than Mary and Mr. Collins. They solemnly intoned their parts as required, and soon they were wed.

Elizabeth had tears of joy in her eyes, which Mr. Collins took in the wrong way. He took her aside and said, “Dear Cousin Elizabeth, I know that you are thinking of what might have been. I certainly never intended to get your hopes up only to dash them. I wish for you to find someone who makes you as happy as my bride does me.” He beamed at Mary from across the courtyard.

It was his wedding day; who was she, on this of all days, to deny him his mistaken pride? Elizabeth simply nodded and told him she would not marry until she felt a love as strong as he and Mary did, “even if it might make me a spinster.” With that, she made her escape, dabbing her eyes until she was well away from him. At least, he would remain a decent trip away most of the time. He really was so silly.

The wedding breakfast was the first time that Elizabeth had seen Mr. Darcy since the engagement ball. What is more, she was seated directly next to him. Miss Bingley had returned, but she was seated further down the other side of the table. Elizabeth considered ignoring Darcy, but she did not want to be rude at such a happy occasion. Mr. Darcy, for his part, was as stiff and formal as ever. Halfway through the second course Elizabeth could restrain herself no longer and spoke.

“I met someone of your acquaintance in the village recently. A man who knows you from your youth.”

“I cannot imagine of whom you speak, Miss Elizabeth.”

“To hear him tell, you two know each other quite well, or you did, once. His name is Wickham.”

At the mention of Wickham’s name, the color drained from Darcy’s face, which Elizabeth took as a further confirmation of his guilt. It took Darcy but a moment to compose himself.

“Mr. Wickham is good at making new friends. Whether he is able to keep them is another thing entirely.”

“It seems that you have no value for his friendship after you used him so poorly!” responded Elizabeth. “Taking away his living. That poor man.”

Darcy uttered a humorless laugh. “Oh, is that the way of it by his telling?”

“Do you have any defense?”

“You will think of me what you will, so there is no point in continuing this conversation.”

And they sat in silence, each angry for a different reason, until the breakfast was over.


	5. Chapter 5

After so much excitement, things calmed down at Longbourn. Mary had gone to her new home with her husband. Everyone was waiting impatiently for Bingley to formalize his commitment to Jane. Lydia and Kitty continued to obsess over officers. And Elizabeth had time for walking, reading, and forgetting all about Mr. Darcy. Mr. Wickham, on the other hand, she had _not_ forgotten about. He sometimes walked her and her sisters home from Meryton. He was as charming as always, and Elizabeth found herself liking him more and more as she spoke with him. For the first time, she did indeed begin to envision herself as an officer’s wife.

Mrs. Bennet was delighted that there were so very many eligible prospects for her daughters. However, her primary goal was still to secure Mr. Bingley for Jane. It had been several days since Jane had spoken to any of the Bingleys when a letter arrived for her from Netherfield.

“Well, open it, Jane, open it!” said her mother.

Jane smiled and unfolded the letter. As she read it, her face fell.

“What is the matter?” asked Elizabeth, concerned.

“It is from Caroline Bingley. She says that their entire party has left for London with no plans to return.”

“But Mr. Bingley would never leave without saying goodbye to you!”

“It cannot be made any clearer, Lizzy. He is gone.”

A wail went up from Mrs. Bennet—all that work and no husband to show for it. She began whimpering about her nerves and left the room to lie down.

“Jane, I feel that there must be more to this than we know. Mr. Bingley loves you, I know it. Anyone who has seen the two of you together knows it!”

“But that is just the thing, Lizzy. Caroline mentions that her fondest wish is to see her brother married to Mr. Darcy’s sister, Georgiana.”

“Why, that conniving woman!”

“Do not speak of her so, Lizzy. Perhaps she is not aware of the affection I have for her brother. Perhaps I misunderstood his affections toward me.”

“There can be no questioning either of those things. She knows; it is just that she does not care. And for her to write to you as a friend!”

Jane just looked at Elizabeth with tears in her eyes. Elizabeth felt the burn of her own tears as they contemplated a future that did not include Mr. Bingley.

***

Jane took her heartache in stride, but Elizabeth noticed that she spent most of her time in a distracted state. She walked around the house almost as if she were still asleep. Mrs. Bennet had ever increasing attacks of nerves that confined her to her bed. Mr. Bennet was initially happy for the quiet around the house, but after a time it made him more solemn as well, perhaps because his wit had fewer outlets. Kitty and Lydia remained in love with any man in a red regimental.

As for Elizabeth, she hoped to turn to her own officer to distract her from the sadness in her house. However, that was likewise not to be, as Mr. Wickham was called away on urgent business to London and was unsure when he would return. Elizabeth was hoping for a commitment from him prior to his leaving, but none was forthcoming. Suddenly, the Bennet daughters had gone from several promising prospects down to nearly none. Luckily, the Christmas season was upon them, which meant distractions, especially in the form of Uncle and Aunt Gardiner.

The Gardiners lived in London but always visited Longbourn for the holidays. Mr. Gardiner, who was quite as different from his sister, Mrs. Bennet, as it is possible to be, worked as a lawyer. Mrs. Gardiner was elegant, bright, and a favorite among her nieces, particularly the eldest two. It was a relief for both Jane and Elizabeth to be able to confide in their aunt in person, rather than having to send everything in letters. Mr. Bingley was not discussed, as Jane had made it clear that she did not want to hear his name. However, Elizabeth had conversation to fill the time in describing Mr. Wickham.

Mrs. Gardiner had been raised in Derbyshire, and she was familiar, at least by reputation, with the residents of Pemberley. She recalled hearing that young Mr. Darcy was exceedingly proud and quiet as a child.

“Not much has changed,” said Elizabeth. “He is still cold and reserved and utterly the most vexing man I have met in my entire life!”

“So not at all like your Mr. Wickham,” replied her aunt.

“I should say not! Mr. Wickham is quite as amiable as he first appears. There is nothing cold about him.”

“I am glad that you have found someone whom you find agreeable. However, there are certain realities that need to be considered, were he to make an offer.”

Elizabeth knew that her aunt was right. If Mr. Wickham had received his living in the church, he would have quite enough to support a wife. However, that living was lost. Elizabeth had very little money to bring into marriage as well. If the two of them were to wed, their finances would be quite limited indeed, supported only by his officer’s pay, which was small.

“I know, Aunt, that you are thinking kindly of me to remind me of this,” said Elizabeth, and she meant it. “However, as there is not now an offer available and no guarantee that there shall be one, it seems premature to worry.”

“An offer can be made in an instant, Lizzy. Just think on it so you will know what your answer might be, if that offer were to come.”

Elizabeth nodded and thanked her aunt for her concern. However, her mind was not to be made, one way or another, by financial prospects. If she received an offer of marriage from someone she believed to be compatible with her, she would not let money keep them apart.

***

The Gardiners were so affected by Jane’s solemnity that they wished to do something to cheer her up. They invited her to go back to London with them. Jane was very amenable to the idea, particularly because she wished to see her friend Caroline Bingley again. Elizabeth suspected that Jane was interested in more than just renewing her friendship with Miss Bingley, but she wisely stayed quiet on the matter.

Soon after Christmas, the Gardiners and Jane departed. Elizabeth missed her dearly, but she suspected that the change in scenery would be a good thing for poor Jane. The two sisters kept in touch by letter. After Jane had been gone for some weeks, Elizabeth spied a familiar (but unhappy) name in the most recent letter. Jane had not yet heard from Caroline Bingley, despite sending a letter when she first arrived in London. Of course, Jane assumed that the letter had been lost, but Elizabeth thought the cause much more sinister. Jane planned to visit the Bingleys at home on Grosvenor Street and promised Elizabeth that she would send the resolution of the visit as soon as she could.

Elizabeth hoped that she was incorrect, that the letter indeed had been lost and Miss Bingley had nothing but Jane’s best interests at heart. However, she could not make herself believe it. Her experience with Caroline Bingley, if nothing else, pointed to the fact that the only person in whose interest Miss Bingley worked was Miss Bingley.

_Soon to be Mrs. Darcy, and never has a couple been better matched_, thought Elizabeth.

The next letter from Jane confirmed Elizabeth’s dark thoughts. Jane had seen Miss Bingley at home. Excuses about a lost letter were made, and then Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst practically pushed Jane out the door so they could get to dinner. Miss Bingley had managed to relay that Mr. Bingley and Georgiana Darcy were getting along exceedingly well, and an announcement was expected any day.

Jane’s following letter was even more despondent. Miss Bingley waited a fortnight before returning the visit, and her visit was short and tense. Jane expressed wonder about the change in Miss Bingley’s attitude toward her. She also stated that Miss Bingley had made it clear that Mr. Bingley was aware of Jane’s presence in London. Poor Jane had finally come to the realization that if Mr. Bingley had wanted to see her, he would have. She ended the letter to Elizabeth by stating her desire to avoid any and all Bingleys in the future. This made Elizabeth’s heart hurt. For even if she shared Jane’s sentiments, she was discouraged to see her sister, who always saw sunshine even when Elizabeth saw rain, be so disheartened by the entire enterprise. She longed for her sister to come home so that they could continue their lives without the uncertainty of Mr. Bingley’s intentions hanging over them.

However, it would be some time before she saw her favorite sister again. A letter arrived from Mary inviting her sisters to come visit her at Hunsford. Kitty and Lydia had no interest in a visit as there were unlikely to be any officers there and declined, but Elizabeth felt an obligation to Mary to visit her new home. She knew that she would have to endure Mr. Collins’ foolishness. She hoped that marriage had made him more sensible, but she doubted it.


	6. Chapter 6

The trip to Hunsford was long, and Elizabeth was glad to see the back of it. Mary came running out of the house to hug her sister. Elizabeth was shocked to see the change in the normally restrained Mary.

“Sister, it is so good of you to come. I have so much that I want to show you! Please, do come inside.”

The house was decorated sparsely, but much more tastefully than Elizabeth would have imagined. She wondered if Mary or Mr. Collins had an artistic vision that had not previously shown itself. She expressed to Mary how very beautiful the house was.

“Thank you. Being a wife—and a clergyman’s wife!—is more than I had ever imagined. I cannot express how wonderful it is to be the wife of someone as universally admired as Mr. Collins!”

That was a sentiment that Elizabeth would not contradict, if only out of a sense of sisterly obligation.

“Twice we have dined at Rosings, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh has been satisfied with my playing of the pianoforte. I am currently preparing a new piece in the event that another invitation arrives. It is so delightful to spend an evening with intellectual equals! Not that you were not a worthy conversant at home, my dear Lizzy, but my other sisters! Oh, I am so glad that you are here!”

Elizabeth smiled to see a bit of the old Mary peeking out from underneath this excited creature.

“I am so glad to be here, sister. And where is your husband?”

“Mr. Collins attends the garden. It is his great pride.”

“Well, I look forward to seeing it.”

“Yes, I want to show you everything!”

And she did.

***

The following morning Elizabeth looked out the window to see Mr. and Mrs. Collins in an animated conversation with two women in a carriage. The wind was blowing terribly, but that did not affect the smiles on their faces. After several minutes, the carriage pulled away, and the Collinses came to tell Elizabeth the news.

“Sister, you will never believe it!” exclaimed Mary.

“My patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has invited us to dine at Rosings tomorrow night!” said Mr. Collins. “This is such a great honor. I had thought maybe she would invite us for tea , which would be a distinction in and of itself. But for all of us to be invited to dinner is so charitable. I am delighted, my dear cousin, that you will have the opportunity to meet Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her accomplished daughter, Anne.”

“I am sure, sir, that it will be a magnificent and impressive meeting.”

“Oh, it shall. Wait until you see the grandeur of Rosings Park!”

That day and the following passed slowly, with the dinner being the undercurrent of everything that was done. Elizabeth felt less nervous than Mary and Mr. Collins, certainly, but it was less incumbent upon her that a good impression be made. She had no intention of making a bad one, but all of her knowledge of Lady Catherine de Bourgh came from Mr. Collins’ fawning descriptions, and she considered those suspect to say the least.

Finally, it was time to prepare for the dinner. Mr. Collins took Elizabeth aside.

“I know, Cousin Elizabeth, that you will not have brought any clothing that feels suitably fine enough to dine at Rosings. I do not want you to concern yourself about this. Just wear whatever you brought that is best. Indeed, Lady Catherine prefers that rank be observed in dress, so she would rather have you dress as you normally do.”

Elizabeth had given not a thought to whether her clothing would impress Lady Catherine, but she thanked Mr. Collins for considering her comfort in telling her this. She dressed as she had planned to dress prior to speaking with Mr. Collins, and the party began the walk across the sprawling lawns toward Rosings.

Mr. Collins spoke quite knowledgeably about the construction of Rosings. It was clear that he had heard many stories about when Sir Lewis de Bourgh built it. Elizabeth was interested in the architecture, but much less interested in the cost of everything, which Mr. Collins always provided when pointing out a new item of interest. One thing was clear, even without Mr. Collins' explanations - Rosings was huge and ornate, and, like many great estates, appeared to be barely lived in.

A surprise awaited all members of the Collins party when they arrived in the sitting room. Mr. Darcy was there, as was another man with whom Elizabeth was unfamiliar. Elizabeth managed to keep her countenance while she was introduced to Lady Catherine, who looked at her with little warmth but a good deal of interest.

Lady Catherine might have been handsome once, but now she was just formidable. She was tall, with wide shoulders and a mouth did not appear to be in the habit of smiling. Elizabeth was instantly on her guard. As a rule, she did not trust people without some degree of lines around their eyes to indicate that they laughed often, and heartily.

Next to Lady Catherine sat a slight thing that must be Miss Anne de Bourgh, whom Mary had told her was sickly as a rule. She was very thin and pale, and she was fussed over continually by another woman Elizabeth learned was her nurse, Mrs. Jenkinson. She certainly did appear to be as poorly as Mary had said, and she seemed to be entirely overwhelmed by her mother. But then again, who would not be overwhelmed by a woman such as Lady Catherine?

The man who stood next to Darcy was introduced as his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam was quite different in countenance from the other people in the room. He smiled readily at Elizabeth and bowed deeply, and she was happy to see those laugh lines missing from the other faces in the room. He made her feel comfortable, and, even if she had to dine with Mr. Darcy, she assured herself that she could make the best of it by finding time to speak with Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Elizabeth's supposition that the dinner would be awkward was correct, but the source of this awkwardness was not the one that she presumed it would be. Lady Catherine assailed her with questions that would only be considered appropriate due to Lady Catherine's rank. As Elizabeth was generally not impressed by the rank that a person was born into, these questions seemed to be impertinent indeed.

"Do you play the pianoforte, Miss Bennet?"

"Only occasionally, and very poorly. Mary is really the only person in our house that has shown the slightest musical aptitude."

"Yes, she has played for us on prior occasions. I have told her that she may practice on the pianoforte here at Rosings. I believe that it is the case that practice is the best thing for improvement, although natural inclination cannot be entirely disregarded. Anne and I have never learned to play, but I am confident that we would be accomplished at it if we had."

"Then your ladyship is superior to me in that regard; I do not have any natural inclinations toward music."

"Well, that is a shame. It is so important that girls such as yourself have accomplishments if you care to marry well."

Elizabeth resisted the urge to glance at Mr. Darcy. Miss Bingley, she knew, was accomplished, but far from being the sort of person whom Elizabeth wished to model herself upon.

Instead of responding with her true thoughts, she nodded and said "Yes, madam," in an attempt to move the conversation onto steadier ground.

"And Mary tells me that all five of you were out at the same time! Five!"

"Yes, that is also true."

"I cannot imagine having five girls out at once. However did your parents manage? How long did they retain a governess?"

"We had no governess, Lady Catherine."

"My goodness, however did your mother manage? She must have been quite a slave to your education."

Elizabeth thought of the silliness of her two youngest sisters and wisely chose to stay quiet. She was hoping that Mary would offer some assistance, but she seemed far more interested in her soup than she was in the conversation. It was probably the case that she had already received this sort interrogation and had no desire to involve herself in it again.

Colonel Fitzwilliam could see that Elizabeth was struggling, so he entered the conversation to ask what her opinion of Mr. Darcy had been upon their first meeting.

Elizabeth smiled, but answered honestly. "He spent all of his evening standing about, even when there were young ladies who did not have partners. Tell me, Colonel Fitzwilliam, what would your opinion have been of such a man?"

"Well," interjected Mr. Collins, "if the man had the distinguished mien of Mr. Darcy, I would imagine that my opinion of him would be positive, even just by viewing him from across the room."

Mr. Darcy looked a bit embarrassed, but Lady Catherine nodded. "Yes, Mr. Collins, I believe that you are correct. Good breeding always shines through."

Colonel Fitzwilliam caught Elizabeth's eye from across the table and gave her a ghost of a smile. She smiled back, happy to find one person at this party who seemed to understand her.

***

After dinner, Lady Catherine requested that Elizabeth play.

"My lady, I beseech you to allow Mary to play instead of me, for the sake of all our poor ears."

Lady Catherine did not look pleased, but she acquiesced to Mary playing. Mary was glowing as she took the piano stool and prepared to play the piece that she had worked so hard on. Elizabeth was pleased, for Mary's sake, to hear that the piece was well practiced and well played. She took a chair as far away from Lady Catherine as she could. As luck would have it, Lady Catherine was deep in conversation with her daughter and Mr. Collins; so Elizabeth was safe, at least, for a short while.

Colonel Fitzwilliam came over and sat next to her. Darcy kept his distance.

"Do not be so rough on my poor cousin, Miss Bennet."

She did not audibly snort at the idea of poor Mr. Darcy, but it took some willpower.

Colonel Fitzwilliam continued. "He is difficult to become well acquainted with, but he will do anything for the people who are dear to him. Why, only recently did he save his closest friend from an imprudent marriage."

This caught Elizabeth's attention. "What was the man's name?"

"That I do not recall, but I know that he was close to attaching himself to a young lady who esteemed him less than he esteemed her. Apparently, her family was also uncouth and unbearable."

Elizabeth knew exactly to whom Mr. Darcy referred. She mostly managed to keep the anger off her face as she continued to speak with Colonel Fitzwilliam. They continued to talk of light things. At one point Darcy began to walk over, but the look on Elizabeth's face made him reconsider. For his part, he looked miserable. She was delighted to have any part in causing him pain after what he had done to Jane.

***

It was hard for Elizabeth to forget what Colonel Fitzwilliam had told her. It colored the remainder of her trip. She would find herself thinking of how deeply injured Jane was, and all because Mr. Darcy decided it was his role to interfere. Not for a single moment did she believe that he doubted Jane's affection; certainly, she was not as demonstrative as Mr. Bingley, but her actions should have been more than satisfactory to assuage the doubts of any reasonable person. She had to remind herself of whom she was thinking. Certainly, it would be a mistake to consider Mr. Darcy reasonable.

Elizabeth indulged herself in many long walks while she remained at Hunsford. They did not completely calm her, but they gave her a measure of peace that nothing else had managed to do. During one of these walks, she was shocked to see the object of her disdain walking toward her.

"Mr. Darcy," she said coolly.

"Miss Bennet," he replied.

"What a coincidence to meet you out here."

"Not actually; I came to find you."

"I cannot imagine what you could possibly need with me."

Darcy flinched at these words. If only she knew.

"I noticed," he said, "that you became very upset whenever your gaze strayed to me at dinner the other night."

So she had not been as good at hiding her feelings as she had believed.

"I had just received some disturbing news. How dare you break apart a couple that was in love?"

"I did what I thought was best for my friend. It was clear that your sister did not have the depth of affection that Bingley did."

"And how would you know that? My sister is reserved even with those of us who know her best. Mr. Bingley's departure has brought her more pain than you can imagine."

"If that is indeed true, I am sorry. I only hoped to save my friend from an unfortunate situation."

"Of course you would consider Jane an “unfortunate situation”. She may not have as much money as your Miss Bingley, but I assure you that you will not find a kinder, better person anywhere on this earth!"

"Miss Bennet, it was not my goal to upset you."

"Not your goal?" Elizabeth said, astonished. "Ever since we were first introduced you have made it clear how much you detest being in the same room as me!"

And for just a single moment, Darcy once again lost the control that he tried to maintain over his face, and his hurt and anguish showed through. He quickly rearranged his face into a neutral look, but not quickly enough for Elizabeth to miss what had just happened.

"How dare you look injured when you been the one who has made it abundantly clear how inferior I, and every member of my family, is to you! Is this a game to you?"

He laughed humorlessly. "A game? Do you have any idea whatsoever how much I have tried to regulate my feelings?"

"Obviously not enough, as you have made clear every time we are in a room together."

"Have you given the slightest thought to the idea that the emotion is not hatred, but instead its exact opposite?"

Elizabeth stared at him, stunned, as he realized the words his traitorous mouth had just spoken without approval from the brain.

"This_ is_ a game to you! There is no way that a man who is engaged to another woman would say such a thing unless he was an irredeemable cad. I trust that you are merely toying with me for sport."

Darcy did not utter another word. He bowed, spun on his heel, and walked away

***

Elizabeth found it difficult to catch her breath after Mr. Darcy's exit. How dare he? The audacity of even insinuating that there was a possible romantic connection between the two of them. Was he so wealthy that he felt he could buy people and use them as he wished? Was this a way to see if Elizabeth was amenable to such a situation? She would never have guessed that under the cold exterior of Mr. Darcy lay such perversion!

Even if he had not been engaged, to think that she would have romantic inclinations toward him, of all people! He who separated Mr. Bingley and Jane, he who denied Mr. Wickham his living. The situation was too much for Elizabeth, and she burst into angry tears, relieved that no one was near to see her outpouring of emotion.

***

Darcy knew the magnitude of the mistake that he had made. What sort of man insinuates his admiration for one woman while being engaged to another? Even if it were not for Caroline, Elizabeth Bennet would never speak to him again. He had never had a problem holding his tongue before. What was it about her that left him off his guard and made him act in such an uncharacteristic way? Her statement that he hated her had triggered something in him. Certainly, it was the attitude that he should hope she held toward him. It was safest that way. But he could not stand and look into the eyes of the woman that he loved while she believed such a thing of him.

This caught him off guard. Love? He had not thought of her in terms of that emotion before, but he realized that it accurately described his feelings toward her. He loved her, deeply and completely. And he would never have her. He dropped his head into his hands in frustration. What would it take for him to forget this woman?

***

The household at Hunsford heard the hammering of hooves outside the following day. Mary looked out the window and announced that it was Mr. Darcy, and he appeared to be pushing his horse as fast as it could go.

"I wonder at him not staying longer with his aunt," said Mr. Collins. "One would think that he would want to spend as much time as possible in her presence. Certainly, if I had an aunt as gracious, I would be in no hurry to rush off."

"He has always been reserved and kept to himself," remarked Mary. "Has he not, Lizzy?"

"I always thought so," Elizabeth mumbled under her breath, before giving Mary a smile and a nod of affirmation to her question.

Things were quieter for the remainder of Elizabeth's visit. Mr. Collins spent time in his garden, and Mary spent time learning news from home and passing judgment on those who she felt were not behaving properly. Elizabeth knew that this activity gave Mary great joy, so she indulged her with any bits of gossip that she could remember.

Soon, it was time for Elizabeth to return home. Just as she had been grateful to leave Longbourn at the start of this journey, she was now grateful to return. She hoped that her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner would be at the house, having returned Jane from London. Writing letters was a pale imitation of actually being able to speak with her sister, and Elizabeth had so much to tell her. She thought about it on her trip home and decided that she would not mention Mr. Darcy's strange words to Jane. She did not know what he meant by them, and she knew that it would upset Jane greatly to learn that his character was so lacking. Even without that, though, she was bursting with stories (and a tolerable impression of Lady Catherine de Bourgh) that she could not wait to share with Jane.

Luck favored Elizabeth, and Jane was home when she arrived. They flung themselves into each other's arms, shrieking. Tears were shed on both sides, and reassurances were given that the person they both missed most in the world was their sister. They were not to have long to talk, though. Uncle and Aunt Gardiner were leaving the following week to go to Derbyshire, and they asked Elizabeth to accompany them. She knew that a trip with her Aunt and Uncle would be soothing and in good company, so she agreed to go. That gave the two sisters several days to catch up.

"I am really very much recovered, Lizzy," said Jane that evening. "I doubt I would recognize Mr. Bingley if I passed him on the street."

"I know you better than that, dear Jane," said Elizabeth. "And I am so offended at the way you were treated."

"He had made me no promises. He owed me nothing."

"No one who saw the two of you dancing together would feel that he owes you nothing. However, I am glad to hear that you are healing."

"There is only one person of whom this experience has given me a diminished opinion of."

This was something new. Jane never had a diminished opinion of anyone that Elizabeth could recall.

"Caroline Bingley pretended to be my friend the entire time that the Bingleys stayed at Netherfield. Certainly, she did not treat me with the respect due to a friend when I saw her in London."

"Jane, I am so proud! I cannot imagine a better person for you to think less of, unless perhaps, it is Miss Bingley's intended."

The girls giggled long into the night as they shared their stories with one another. Elizabeth fell asleep thinking that there is no greater gift in the world than a sympathetic sister.


	7. Chapter 7

The time at home passed quickly, but Elizabeth treasured every moment that she got to spend with Jane. There was no one else in her life with whom she could be so honest. Unfortunately, the one thing that she needed to talk about, she did not dare bring up even with Jane. What could Mr. Darcy have meant, and why did a man that she detested continue to linger in her thoughts to the degree that he did?

Luckily she had the trip with her aunt and uncle to Derbyshire to look forward to. She dearly loved them, and the trip would take her to a part of the country that she had never seen before. However, they would not be able to begin their journey before more dramatic events came to Longbourn.

Lydia and Kitty came in one day with the news that the militia was moving to Brighton. They were disappointed that there would no longer be officers in town. Elizabeth gave a thought to Mr. Wickham, whom she had not seen for some months now. It could not be possible, could it, that he had remained this entire time in London? But if he had not, why had he not made himself known? She asked Kitty and Lydia if they had heard tell of his whereabouts.

"I would say that you chose somewhat poorly, Lizzy, in spite of his pleasant looks and bearing. He still has not returned from London. Denny is terribly upset about it; he said that this does not reflect well on the sort of man he believed Wickham to be."

"Perhaps he fell in love with an heiress," said Kitty, and the two younger girls danced about the room. "It would be so romantic!"

"Quiet," said Lydia. "Do think of poor Lizzy's feelings in all this. She has been quite thrown over." Lydia's face indicated that she was not so much sorry as she was interested in how her sister might react.

"Mr. Wickham had made me no promises. His conscience is clear on that account," Elizabeth said lightly. However, her heart felt as if it was being crushed. She had so liked Mr. Wickham and had hoped for a future with him, fortune or no. For him to leave forever without so much as telling her was a difficult reality to accept.

Later, when they were alone, Jane consoled her. "Maybe there is some explanation. Maybe a member of his family fell ill."

"No, he has no family," Elizabeth said and reminded Jane of his connection to Mr. Darcy.

"Well, there could be another explanation. What if _he_ has fallen ill?"

"Denny would know. This sounds like an outright desertion. I cannot believe him capable of such a thing. Is it possible that I misjudged him so completely?"

"If you have misjudged him, Lizzy, we all have. He never gave us any reason to suspect that his character was anything but clean. Perhaps it is for the best that he is gone, if that is the sort of man that he actually is."

The discovery of Mr. Wickham's desertion made Elizabeth question the veracity of everything that he told her. Did he indeed have romantic designs on her? Was he just hoping to find a girl of little willpower who would give him what he desired? If that was his plan he had chosen his target poorly. Nonetheless, Elizabeth was angry at herself for being fooled so completely. Then another thought came to mind: if Mr. Wickham was indeed not a man of noble character, was his description of what happened with Mr. Darcy true, or was it a lie? Elizabeth no longer knew what to believe. Instead of torturing herself further, she determined that it was time for her to go to bed. Her sleep was fitful, and she awoke feeling no less rested, or certain, than she had been the evening before.

When one is particularly tired, the sound of unrestrained young people can easily make one feel less pleasant still. However, that was what awaited Elizabeth on that particular day.

"Mama! Papa! I have the most wonderful news!" Lydia cried as she rushed through the door. Kitty followed close behind, sobbing.

"Well, what is it, Lydia dear? And why has it caused Kitty such grief?"

"Colonel and Mrs. Forster have asked me to stay with them at Brighton. Oh, what a grand adventure I shall have!”

"It is not fair!" said Kitty. "I am two years older than you. I should have been invited."

"Perhaps they could tell that I am the more mature of the two of us," said Lydia smugly. She had not a single care for the pain that her sister was experiencing.

Jane comforted Kitty, who could not stop crying.

"This is excellent!" said Mrs. Bennet, crossing the room to hug Lydia. "You shall be safe with the Forsters, and it will give the young men of the regiment more time to learn your agreeable qualities. An offer of marriage cannot be far behind!"

The two of them hugged each other and giggled as if both of them were 15. Elizabeth was dismayed to see that their mother did not pay an ounce of attention to poor, heart-broken Kitty. She sat next to her on the couch and assisted Jane in trying to comfort her. Lydia continued to flounce around the room, making things much harder for Kitty. Finally, Elizabeth could stand it no more. Leaving Kitty in Jane's capable care, she knocked on the door of her father's study.

Elizabeth explained, as calmly as she could manage, all the reasons that allowing Lydia to go to Brighton was a terrible idea.

"She cannot be controlled at home, Papa! What makes you think that she will comport herself better when her family is not around to shame her out of whatever egregious folly she thinks up?"

"Lydia will be Lydia, and it is probably best that she work out some of her silliness in Brighton and far from here. The Forsters will not let anything truly bad happen."

"Mrs. Forster is nearly as foolish as Lydia! I do not think that she will be a stern chaperone."

"Colonel Forster has the power to control both his wife and your sister, I believe."

"If she does something untoward, it will reflect on the entire family! On our marriage prospects, which may have already been harmed!"

"In what specific way have they been harmed, Lizzy?"

She couldn't tell him the truth—not until she was certain that she understood it herself. "In no specific way, but having foolish girls in the family does not reflect well on the family in general!"

"Well, it is fortunate that we have you and Jane. No one could meet you and walk away with a bad impression of our family. Having two silly sisters will not affect that."

"I hope, for all our sakes, that you are correct, Papa."

She was not going to change her father's mind, so she returned, once again, to help Jane comfort Kitty.

Kitty remained sullen, and Lydia remained insensible of that fact. Within a few days, she was packed and ready to go.

"The next time you see me, pray that I will be engaged!" she said.

"I only pray that when we see her again, she will not be ruined," Elizabeth said softly to Jane.


	8. Chapter 8

Soon after Lydia, it was the Gardiners and Elizabeth preparing to leave. It was bittersweet, saying goodbye to Jane after only a week, but both of them promised to write every day if they could manage it.

Elizabeth was not insensible to the fact that Pemberley was in Derbyshire. However, the county was very large. What were the chances that she would run into Mr. Darcy?

_But what would you say to him if you did?_ pestered her mind. _I would not need say anything at all_, she replied to herself. _He is the one who has made a fool of himself, mocking me by insinuating his affection_.

The trip was agreeable and the company even better. Mrs. Gardiner had grown up in Derbyshire, and she delighted in sharing it with her niece. Elizabeth had the opportunity to explore a new countryside, and the weather was so pleasant it was as if they had ordered it just for their visit there. She felt calmer than she had in a long time, with no one to trouble her mind.

Mrs. Gardiner had grown up in a little town called Lambton. The Gardiners and Elizabeth let a room at a comfortable inn right in that town.

"You know, dear, we are very close to Pemberley," Mrs. Gardiner said over dinner. "Why, imagine what stories the people in town must have about Mr. Darcy!"

A man sitting at the next table said, "Oh, there are stories aplenty!"

He introduced himself. His name was Rollins, and he was a farmer-tenant to Mr. Darcy.

"What can you tell us about him?" asked Mr. Gardiner curiously.

"I have farmed this land for twenty years, under both the elder and the younger Darcy. I have not a single complaint about them, nor do I know anyone who does. Why, my wife took ill several months ago and was housebound. Did Miss Georgiana Darcy not bring a basket to my wife and sit with her for a bit? And her brother is as accommodating. It would surprise me if you could find a single soul with a bad thing to say about any of the Darcys."

Afterwards, her aunt said to her, "This is quite different from the story told by Mr. Wickham."

"Aunt, I do not believe that Wickham's word can be taken as truth," said Elizabeth. "He is the only person who has spoken ill of Mr. Darcy's character, and Mr. Wickham has proven himself unreliable with his quitting Meryton for London."

"But Lizzy, you yourself have spoken of how proud and disagreeable he is."

"Yes, that is certainly true, and what is more, I know of a situation where his influence has deeply affected a person that I care about in a terrible way."

"So maybe we still do not have all of the picture of Mr. Darcy. This tenant seems to like him, but that does not necessarily mean that all his tenants do. Is there a way that he can be all of these things that people have said of him?"

"It seems not," said Elizabeth. "Certainly, it does not seem that a man who treats his tenants so well would treat a childhood friend as poorly as Mr. Wickham claims. And my own experience does point to Mr. Darcy's excessive pride. However," she added with a smile, "I cannot reconcile the idea that someone who was not thoroughly unpleasant would ever propose to Caroline Bingley. I tell you, the more I consider it, the more confused I get. If Mr. Darcy is not who I have believed him to be then I have attacked him viciously with my words. But I find it difficult to believe that I should be so mistaken."

"It sounds as if you need more information before you can draw a conclusion about him," her aunt said gently.

"Yes, you are correct, and all this pondering has given me quite a headache. I am going to head up to my room early."

***

Elizabeth climbed the stairs to her lodging. She could hear two chambermaids gossiping in the hallway that they believed to be empty. She smiled and had no desire to interrupt them, as they reminded her very much of her sisters.

"...and then you would not believe what he asked me to do," said one, her voice scandalized. "I said to him, 'How dare you insult my honor!' And do you know what he did then?"

"What?” asked her companion, breathlessly.

"He grabbed at my skirts. I barely made it out of his reach."

"But he seemed so handsome and refined."

"Handsome he may be, and raised up well with those Pemberley manners, but he is not worth one bit of what Mr. Darcy is worth."

Elizabeth rounded the corner of the hall that the chambermaids were in and they instantly stopped talking and gave her a quick curtsy. She smiled at them, but her mind was elsewhere.

Handsome, raised at Pemberley, and not Mr. Darcy - there was only one person that Elizabeth knew of they could be talking about. Was it possible that Mr. Wickham had been in Lambton recently? What business would he have here? This was just another piece of evidence that Mr. Wickham's account of what happened with Mr. Darcy might stray from the truth. The man that the chambermaid was describing was no gentleman.

***

She had a hard time falling asleep that night. One thought kept haunting her. What if she had judged Mr. Darcy unfairly?

The next morning, her aunt proposed a trip to tour Pemberley. It was only a few miles away and open to visitors.

"Would you not like to see the grandeur with your own eyes, Lizzy?"

She had to admit that she was curious, but she was anxious about the possibility of seeing Mr. Darcy before she had a chance to puzzle through all the information that she had learned.

"Well, that is a question easily answered," said her uncle, and asked one of the men working at the inn if the Darcys were at Pemberley for the summer. He was told that they were away at the time. That relieved Elizabeth greatly, and she agreed to the day trip.

***

The grounds of Pemberley were beautiful. After taking a lane through a grove of trees, the main lawn came into view, with the house itself as the backdrop. Elizabeth was entranced. The design respected the natural grace of the land and in no way ever tried to overpower it with artifice. A stream ran out front. To Elizabeth, it seemed as if the most perfect natural location had been found and Pemberley gently placed there in a way that did not disturb the splendor of nature.

The house rose from these charming grounds, made of stone and looking very assuming. She was shocked at the size of it. She had visited other estates, but Pemberley was singular in its beauty.

They made their way inside and waited for the housekeeper. Elizabeth had some time to look around. The housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, arrived to greet them. Elizabeth had expected a certain pretension from the servants of Pemberley, but the housekeeper was very welcoming. She bade them look around at their leisure. Elizabeth was impressed with the tastefulness of the design. Nothing was ostentatious or gaudy, but the quality of everything in the house shone through. She looked out the window to the back of the house and saw that the beauty of the grounds continued there.

Mrs. Gardiner had found a set of miniatures. "Is one of these Mr. Darcy?" she asked Mrs. Reynolds.

"Yes, that is him there."

"Lizzy, come tell me if this is a good likeness."

The housekeeper smiled broadly at this. "Does the young lady know Mr. Darcy?"

"A little," Elizabeth stammered, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Is he not handsome, miss?"

"Yes, very handsome." That was not a lie. Whatever faults Darcy possessed, a lack of beauty was not one of them.

Elizabeth took the opportunity to put her mind at rest. "Is the family home?"

"No, they are not," replied the housekeeper, "although we expect them with a party tomorrow."

Elizabeth was greatly relieved that they had come on this day and not on the following.

As they continued, Mr. Gardiner engaged Mrs. Reynolds in conversation.

"What type of man is Mr. Darcy?"

"Oh, sir, he is the best type. He has never spoken a cross word to me. He is both the best landlord and the best master you can imagine."

Elizabeth had heard the same from one of Mr. Darcy’s own tenants. How unlike the man being described was from the one she believed herself to know!

"He is also the best brother you can imagine to young Miss Darcy. He dotes on her, as well he should. She is quite as agreeable a person as he."

This also agreed with what Elizabeth had heard at the inn. She had thought of Georgiana as a temptress trying to lure Mr. Bingley away from Jane. Perhaps she misunderstood the situation. The Miss Darcy that she had heard described sounded lovely.

Mrs. Reynolds led them to the portrait gallery. There was an enormous painting of Mr. Darcy hung in there. He was smiling, which surprised her greatly. He looked nothing more than the beneficent master of a great estate. She fancied there was a warmth to his eyes too. Could this be the same man who could not bear her presence?

After viewing all that there was to be seen, the Gardiners and Elizabeth headed out to the grounds. They were near the stables when who should appear but the man himself? They were so close Elizabeth could not possibly hope to avoid his view, but nonetheless she tried to turn away, stricken with embarrassment and confused about who he really was. However, their eyes met and both of them flushed. Mr. Darcy began to walk over to where the group was standing, and Elizabeth met him halfway.

"Miss Elizabeth, I did not expect to find you at Pemberley."

She turned even redder. She explained that she was on holiday with her aunt and uncle and added, "Sir, I never would have come had I known that you would be here."

"I am glad to see you. We did not part on good terms and I have been saddened by that. How is your family?"

She told him of what had happened since they had last spoken. She noticed a change in him. He seemed much more open than he ever had in the past, and she could see some of the Darcy from the portrait in the man who stood in front of her.

"Are you staying in Lambton long, Miss Elizabeth?"

"For two more days."

"It would bring me great joy if you would accept my invitation to dine at Pemberley tomorrow. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your aunt and uncle, so that I might extend the invitation to them as well?"

Elizabeth was startled that he wanted her as a guest after everything that she had said to him. However, she reminded herself that there might be a side to the man of which she was unaware, and certainly dining at Pemberley would help her sort out what was true and what was not.

They walked over to the Gardiners so Elizabeth could introduce them to Mr. Darcy. They were a bit flustered to meet him, but very pleased when he extended the invitation to dinner. It was agreed upon that they would dine together the following evening.

"Georgiana will be delighted," said Mr. Darcy. "It is rare that she gets to spend time with ladies who are close in age to her."

Elizabeth had not even considered that if Darcy was there, Georgiana would be as well. She was a bit nervous to meet the girl who was taking Mr. Bingley from Jane. She knew it was an impertinent question, but she had to know the answer as soon as possible.

"Miss Bingley led Jane to believe that Mr. Bingley and your sister have been spending time together. Should we expect an announcement?"

Darcy looked at her, confused. "Georgiana and Bingley? That does sound like something Caroline would maneuver. They _are_ very fond of each other, it is true, but certainly not in the way that you are implying."

Elizabeth was relieved to hear that. She could now anticipate the dinner the following night without feeling that she was being untrue to Jane.

***

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were very excited at the prospect of dinner at Pemberley. Elizabeth was more nervous than any other emotion. She had rarely managed a conversation with Mr. Darcy without unpleasant things being said (usually by her). Could she endure the entire evening without anything uncivil happening? For the sake of her aunt and uncle, she resolved that no matter what happened, she would restrain her temper.

She changed her dress several times, feeling more and more foolish each time that she did. Precisely whom was she planning to impress? Certainly, she hoped to make a good impression on Georgiana, but that could not possibly account for trying on every dress she had packed. It was probably the case that she was just nervous to dine at a large estate. Her mind was not to be easily convinced, however. Elizabeth knew that she had taken no such care when dining at Rosings Park. So was she choosing her dress for Mr. Darcy, a man who was engaged to be married? Preposterous. She was not that kind of girl, and regardless of what he might have said at Hunsford, he was not that kind of man.

She finally decided on a pink dress that flattered her complexion nicely. She made sure that her hair was pinned properly and went downstairs to meet her aunt and uncle. Her aunt immediately noticed the care with which Elizabeth had prepared herself for this dinner. She did not say anything, but she gave Elizabeth an appraising look.

They arrived at Pemberley in the early afternoon, at Mr. Darcy's invitation. He had mentioned something about excellent fishing, which had gotten Mr. Gardiner's attention. However, first, he introduced the party to Georgiana.

She was a pleasant and sweet girl, and Elizabeth was relieved that she did not have to oppose Georgiana on the principle of her taking Mr. Bingley from Jane. Georgiana mentioned that she had heard quite a bit about the Bennets, and Elizabeth in particular. Elizabeth glanced at Mr. Darcy, trying to get a sense of what he had told his sister, but he just gave her a small smile and said nothing.

While the men headed out to fish, Georgiana took Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner on a more extensive tour of the grounds than the one they had already received. Elizabeth had the time to study all the details and nuances of Pemberley, and she found herself more and more taken with the estate. Georgiana, too, was endearing herself to Elizabeth. She carried herself like a lady of importance, but there was no trace of snobbery in her attitude. Elizabeth wondered how such a dear girl could be friends with Caroline Bingley. She suspected that Caroline was more accommodating than normal around Georgiana. The girl was sweetly naïve and would be an easy mark for a person trying to use her to their own means.

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner returned from fishing, laughing together as if they were old friends. Elizabeth could not help but smile at the scene. Darcy looked at her, the smile still on his lips, and their eyes met. Elizabeth was startled and looked away. There was a longing in those eyes, but he could not possibly feel that way about her—not while he was intended for Caroline.

Darcy knew he was on dangerous ground, spending so much time with Elizabeth, but he simply could not help himself. She enchanted him completely. However, he would need to give her up soon. Thankfully for him, since Bingley was no longer attached to Jane Bennet, Darcy did not have the same risk of running into Elizabeth at every turn. He put those thoughts out of his head for the night and determined that he would enjoy his time with her for what might be the last time.

The party returned inside for dinner. The food was delicious, and the conversation was light but enjoyable. Everyone at the table seemed to be in a particularly good mood after such a delightful day. Elizabeth was seated next to Darcy, who was at the head of the table. She sneaked glances at him when his attention was elsewhere. He truly was a beautiful man and even more so when he smiled. His hair was just the tiniest bit mussed, and she thought that it added to his charm. It was obvious how much he enjoyed being at home and spending time with Georgiana, who, in turn, worshiped him. Elizabeth could not believe that she was feeling this way about the horrible Mr. Darcy, who ruined Jane’s life. _But what if he was just trying to protect his friend?_ her mind asked. As it was, she no longer had faith in anything that Mr. Wickham had told her, and the case against Mr. Darcy seemed to get thinner with every passing minute.

Darcy did not miss, for a minute, the glances Elizabeth was sending his way. She smiled at him when he spoke and studied him when she thought he was not looking. He was elated at the idea that she might not hold him in the contempt that he was accustomed to from her. He planned to enjoy this evening, to mark it in his memory for the future. The idea of Elizabeth looking at him kindly only made the situation more delightfully memorable.

After dinner, Georgiana excused herself to her chambers. Elizabeth embraced her, happy to have made the acquaintance of such a lovely girl. Mr. Darcy then suggested a walk by the water, to which the Gardiners and Elizabeth heartily agreed.

After walking for some time, the Gardiners fell behind, leaving Darcy and Elizabeth in relative privacy. Darcy had no intention of ruining the evening by opening his mouth and saying something to displease her, but Elizabeth had no such qualms.

“Mr. Darcy, I fear that I might have misjudged you. Everyone that I have spoken to since arriving in Lambton has had nothing but praise for you, and I have been impressed with how jovial you have been this day.”

“Miss Elizabeth, nothing could make me happier than your approval,” he said, stopping and looking deep into her eyes.

Elizabeth stared back, and it seemed there was a concurrence between the two of them. Suddenly, she shook her head.

“I beg your forgiveness, Mr. Darcy. I am afraid that foolish notions are swirling around in my head right now that I do not wish to subject you to.”

“Miss Elizabeth, your notions could not possibly be more foolish, nor more audaciously hopeful, than my own.”

She looked at him, afraid for him to continue, but much more terrified for him to stop.

“I have tried in vain to repress my feelings, and I am aware of how very many people I might injure with this statement. However, before I must be parted from you forever, I must tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. “Sir, I confess that my feelings mirror your own. But I know that you cannot be mine. You are promised to Miss Bingley, and nothing will change that fact.”

“I would run away with you,” he whispered hoarsely. “We can be together, and no one would know of our shame.”

She shook her head. “You do not mean that. I cannot be parted forever from my family any more than you could be parted from Georgiana. Do not fool yourself that there is hope for us.”

“We could bring Georgiana. She will be happy anywhere that I am.”

“Mr. Darcy, you know why this cannot be.”

There were tears in his eyes too. He knew she was right. He could not leave Pemberley, could not bring shame to the Darcy name, no matter how badly he wanted her. He lifted her hand to his lips and reverently kissed her palm. Elizabeth sighed and cradled his cheek in her hand.

“If only I had waited for you. If only I had known that love would come to me,” Darcy whispered.

The tears were streaming down Elizabeth’s face. “But it is not to be.”

They stepped back from one another and struggled to get their emotions under control before they were spied by the Gardiners. Darcy reached out and wiped a tear from Elizabeth’s cheek.

“My darling,” he said, and then took another step back as the Gardiners walked into sight.

“Why Lizzy, whatever is wrong?” asked her Aunt.

“Oh, Aunt, it is the most foolish thing,” said Elizabeth. “A bug has flown into my eye, causing it to water!”

Her Aunt stepped forward to look in her eye. “I do not see anything.”

“Perhaps it has resolved itself. However, the sun is setting. Should we not take our leave?”

Darcy’s heart dropped at hearing her say that, but he knew that their separation had to come quickly, for both of their sakes. “I hope you have enjoyed your time at Pemberley.”

“Would that I could stay here always,” replied Elizabeth with a sad smile.

***

Elizabeth tried to regulate her emotions on the way back to the inn, but she struggled. Mrs. Gardiner could well see the pain that Elizabeth was in, and she guessed the cause of it. However, she knew that there was no way in which the situation could resolve itself to everyone’s satisfaction. Elizabeth would just have to accept what was to be and continue on with her life.

When they reached their lodgings, Elizabeth claimed a headache and took to her bed, where she sobbed quietly. She could not believe how quickly the understanding of loving him had washed over her, and she had never felt such joy as when he told her that he loved her too. She was sorely tempted by his offer to run away, but she knew that his conscience would not abide such a decision. She would not let their love for each other destroy what it was that made Fitzwilliam Darcy so singular.

Two miles away, Darcy lay in bed desperately trying to determine how he could marry Elizabeth without bringing shame to his family. It was not to be done. Caroline would never set him free, especially to someone she disliked as intensely as Elizabeth. He felt as if he finally had a chance of happiness, and it was slipping through his fingers. It was a relief to slip into sleep. At least, he could hold his beloved Elizabeth in his dreams.


	9. Chapter 9

Their trip lasted for several more days, but Elizabeth did not remember any of it. Everything had happened so very quickly at Pemberley. From the time she realized her feelings for Mr. Darcy to their separation was no more than hours. She still had not had time to really understand how it happened, but she knew that she had never been more certain of anything than she was of the fact that she loved him. What she had mistaken for pride had been no more than a desire to keep his own counsel. She also now had proof that there was not a love connection between Darcy and Caroline Bingley. That should have soothed her, but it actually had the opposite effect. Knowing that Caroline was only interested in him because of his status and fortune made it all the more difficult for Elizabeth to bear.

Darcy had brought up the possibility that they might never see each other again. The idea of never seeing him made her feel empty as if she might never be happy. But would it be better to see him, knowing each time, that they could not be together? She could not imagine the pain that would cause. It seemed that there was no way this situation would resolve without causing Darcy and her more pain.

When Elizabeth returned to Longbourn, there was no question whether she would confide in Jane. She could not bear the burden of carrying these secrets alone. She told Jane the entire story, and Jane’s eyes grew wider and wider the longer Elizabeth talked.

“Lizzy, I do not even know where to begin. I thought you hated Mr. Darcy.”

“I thought so as well, Jane. But now, I understand that I never really knew him before that evening at Pemberley. He is entirely different than I believed him to be.”

“I cannot imagine anything more incredible that you could tell me than the fact that you are in love with Mr. Darcy.”

“But what of it? We cannot be together. He is promised to Caroline Bingley. What shall become of me? Am I also to enter into a loveless marriage, now that I know the depth with which one can love and be loved?”

“I do not know, Lizzy. Would that I did.”

“The only answer, dear Jane, is to get back into my routine as quickly as I can.”

And that is what Elizabeth did. She took daily walks, accompanied Kitty to Meryton, and read her favorite books yet another time. She laughed with her father and rolled her eyes at her mother’s foolish behavior. She wrote letters to Mary. She tried, desperately, to return things to how they were before she laid eyes on Fitzwilliam Darcy.

She failed, miserably.

Around a month after Elizabeth returned home, Kitty let out a shriek.

“Whatever is it, Kitty? My nerves!” cried their mother.

“You will never believe who is walking up the front path,” said Kitty. “It is none other than Mr. Bingley!”

At the mention of his name, Mrs. Bennet jumped into action, arranging her daughters in the way that she thought they would look more picturesque. She had only just finished when Mr. Bingley was announced.

“Please send him in,” she said in as regal a voice as she could manage.

Bingley walked into the parlor and looked, nervously, at all of the ladies, who were staring at him intensely. “Mrs. Bennet. Miss Bennet. Miss Elizabeth. Miss Kitty. It is a pleasure to see you,” he said.

“Mr. Bingley, how good of you to come visit after all this time! We were worried that you had quite forgotten about us, had we not, Jane?”

Elizabeth sent her mother a warning look.

“I am very pleased to see you, Mr. Bingley,” Jane said softly.

“And I you,” he said with a smile. “In fact, I was hoping to have the chance to speak with you alone, Miss Bennet.”

Mrs. Bennet’s smile could not have been any larger. “Of course! Come now, girls, let us give them some privacy.”

Everyone understood that this privacy was an illusion. The door to the parlor was closed, but Mrs. Bennet’s ear was pressed to it, with Elizabeth and Kitty right behind her trying not to dance with joy.

“Oh, they are talking so quietly I cannot make out what they say!” said Mrs. Bennet. Luckily for her, she was not required to wait much longer. After just a moment, Jane opened the door. She wore a radiant smile.

“We are to be wed,” she whispered, and then she was pulled into an embrace with both her sisters. Their mother promptly burst into tears, and Mr. Bingley could not stop smiling in spite of the amount of feminine emotion in the room.

“May I speak with your father?” he asked Jane.

“Oh yes, of course. Papa!” Jane called, leading Mr. Bingley to the study.

As Bingley spoke with their father, Jane provided some details.

“He thought me to be indifferent to him. He did not even know that I was in London! All this time, he has believed it was _I_ who did not wish to marry _him_!”

Everyone in the room was crying delighted tears, to see Jane and Bingley reunited.

“No one shall ever again question the strength of your love for one another,” said Elizabeth, embracing Jane once more. If anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Jane.

Mr. Bingley returned, having secured the heartily given permission of Mr. Bennet. He and Jane looked at each other, and both smiled the most beautiful smiles. It was enough to make Elizabeth tear up again.

“You are to be my wife, my beautiful Jane,” he said.

“Forever,” she whispered in return.

And finally, there was some joy brought to the Bennet household once more.

***

Elizabeth recounted how Mr. Bingley had proposed to Jane in letters sent to Mary and Lydia. Mary replied warmly that matrimony with a soul that understands your own soul is life’s greatest joy. Elizabeth marveled once again at how well-suited Mary and Mr. Collins were. Lydia replied that she had thoroughly expected to be the first to be engaged, but she could still manage to be the first married if she found a suitable officer. Elizabeth did not relay Lydia’s sentiments to Jane.

Certainly, something as momentous as an engagement called for a fine dinner, and Mr. Bingley began to make plans for a sumptuous feast at Netherfield. There was a small family gathering planned, with a larger party planned for all the neighbors a week later. The Bennet girls all dressed together for the dinner. With Lydia and Mary gone, Jane and Elizabeth did not want Kitty to feel left out. The three girls giggled as they dressed in their finest and decked themselves in so much ribbon Lydia would have been terribly jealous. Elizabeth felt the weight of her sorrow lift from her shoulders for the first time.

However, upon their arrival to Netherfield, Elizabeth realized that she had ignored the single greatest threat of a family dinner. A family dinner included Miss Bingley, as well as her fiancé. As soon as she walked into the room, Darcy turned toward her, almost as if he could sense her presence. Their eyes met, and she felt the full force of the love she felt for him. She could tell just by looking at him that his passion for her remained as strong. Mr. Darcy looked away after just a moment, trying not to alert Caroline to the fact that there was anything amiss.

Miss Bingley did not seem to have noticed. She continued to speak with Mrs. Hurst, to the exclusion of everyone else in the room. When Mr. Bingley finally led Jane over to his sisters, they began to speak of how delighted they were to see her and how much they looked forward to having her as their sister. Jane replied politely, but coolly. Elizabeth was extremely proud of the way that Jane comported herself with those hateful women.

As they sat down for the meal, Mrs. Bennet very much behaved as she usually did. She loudly spoke of what a propitious match Jane had made and began talking about how Netherfield should be decorated differently when Jane was its mistress. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst glared at Mrs. Bennet, but she did not care. She felt that this engagement dinner was as much in celebration of her and what she considered to be her exceptional matchmaking skills as it was in celebration of Mr. Bingley and Jane.

Mr. Darcy took the opportunity of Miss Bingley’s distraction to look at Elizabeth across the table. He knew that he was not making the situation any easier by seeking her out, but he could not resist with her being so close. Her eyes were on his as well, and they shared the look for as long as they dared. Finally Caroline tired of being offended by Mrs. Bennet and turned her attention back to Darcy.

“Perhaps we should have a double wedding, Fitzwilliam,” she said, looking at Jane and Bingley. Darcy knew that it was a ruse. There was no chance that Caroline would be willing to share her attention with anyone else, much less Jane Bennet.

“Oh, yes, that would be a fine idea,” he replied, trying not to see the pain that crossed Elizabeth’s face. “Get all this wedding business out of the way in a single day.”

Caroline looked sour at the idea that their wedding was a “business” to be endured and Darcy managed quite successfully not to smirk. He knew that Caroline had no real desire to be wed to him aside from her desire to be the mistress of Pemberley, and he was bitter that he had to give up his chance at true happiness for a superficial marriage. _You are the one who proposed to her. She is as she always has been_, he reminded himself. However, with Elizabeth sitting directly across the table, he could not help feeling frustrated about his situation.

“I’m sure that Jane and I have quite different ideas on what a wedding day should look like,” said Caroline, not even trying to mask her animosity. “I would not want her to feel uncomfortable with a degree of elegance to which she is not accustomed.”

Even if she had felt nothing for Darcy, Elizabeth would not have been able to abide that sneering remark about her sister. “Elegance, I believe, is something one must be born with. No amount of money can buy it if there is a deficiency. Unlike some, Jane was born with a surplus.”

“Ah, Miss Eliza graces us with her wisdom. Please, I am fascinated to hear what you have to say about elegance and love. When is your wedding, again?” Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst giggled at each other behind their hands.

“Enough.” The one word rang out clearly in the dining room. It was Darcy. “Miss Elizabeth is quite right that no amount of money can buy good breeding. I will have no wife of mine be this uncivil to anyone, much less to people she is about to be connected to by marriage.” He glared at his fiancée. She turned red and stared down at her plate.

“Caroline, I think you ought to apologize to Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth.” Darcy continued sternly.

“My apologies,” Miss Bingley said softly. After that, everyone at the table turned to a new subject to try to mask the embarrassment. Elizabeth was glad that the tense moment was over. She glanced across the table at Miss Bingley. She was staring directly at Elizabeth with an ugly look on her face. Elizabeth suspected that Miss Bingley would search for a way to exact revenge for this humiliation.


	10. Chapter 10

The engagement ball for Mr. Bingley and Jane took place one week after the uncomfortable dinner. Netherfield was once again open to the people of Meryton and the surrounding estates. The general mood was one of elation. Jane was almost universally adored, and people were very fond of Mr. Bingley because of his general amiability, not to mention his habit of providing entertainments for every celebratory occasion.

Elizabeth had, once again, chosen her dress with care. This time it was a delicate pale blue. She knew that she should not torture herself this way, but she hoped to see a spark in Mr. Darcy’s eye when he looked at her. After how unpleasant Miss Bingley had been at the engagement dinner, Elizabeth was not especially inclined to consider her feelings.

Darcy did not so much as pick out his own cravat. Miss Bingley had instructed his valet how he should be dressed, and it did not seem worth the fight to choose his own clothing. He detested how she dressed him as if he was her doll. It was becoming more and more difficult to have Caroline and Elizabeth in the same room and retain his composure. He knew that the night would be a trial.

After he was dressed, he headed downstairs to the ballroom. He expected to find Caroline greeting guests with Bingley, but she was nowhere to be seen. He took advantage of her absence and looked around to see if the Bennets had arrived.

“Is your intended here?” he asked Bingley.

“I believe they just arrived,” Bingley replied. “Perhaps you would be so good as to help me welcome them.”

The men walked to the front door to see the Bennets just stepping down from the carriage. Bingley offered Jane his arm. Mrs. Bennet was escorted by Mr. Bennet, so it was only proper that Darcy escort Elizabeth. He held out his arm, and she slid her arm through his. They briefly glanced at each other, and that glance was enough to show that they both felt the dangerous electricity of the moment. They needed to take care.

Darcy was delighted to have Elizabeth on his arm. She looked even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her, if that was possible. Her dress was lovely, and he wondered with a twinge of delight whether she had worn it for him. He pulled her arm closer to him in a gesture that would not be obvious to anyone looking. She gently squeezed his arm in return.

Elizabeth was equal parts elated and miserable. To walk into the ball on Darcy’s arm was a dream, but like all dreams, she knew she must awaken. Soon Caroline Bingley would arrive and unpleasantly remind everyone to whom Darcy was promised. Elizabeth closed her eyes and just for a moment imagined that it was she who was engaged to Mr. Darcy.

Their party arrived in the ballroom, and Mr. Bingley said to Darcy, “I know it is not your preference, but as a favor to me, will you help Jane and I begin the dance? I fear that everyone else is waiting for us to begin.” He looked around. “Where is Caroline? Probably playing that game where she arrives late so everyone has an opportunity to admire her.”

Bingley was not quite as naive as he sometimes appeared. Darcy smiled.

“Would you mind pairing with Miss Elizabeth for this dance?” Bingley asked, and Darcy could hardly say no, nor did he want to.

He walked back to Elizabeth, gave her a formal bow, and said, “Might I ask for this dance, Miss Elizabeth?”

“You may, Mr. Darcy,” she said and accepted his hand.

Once it was clear that the dancing had begun, other people fell in around the couple, and Darcy and Elizabeth had more of an opportunity to speak quietly to one another without being overheard.

“I am in agony,” Elizabeth whispered. “This is much more difficult than I ever could have imagined.”

“I wish it could be otherwise,” Darcy replied gently. “Can you imagine, for just a few moments, that things are different and that the end of this dance will not mean the end of our time together?”

She nodded and tried to enjoy herself. She quickly became attuned to how they moved together in the dance, and it helped her put some of her sadness aside. She almost could imagine that she was dancing with her intended, instead of with Miss Bingley’s.

Darcy led her through the turns and steps of the dance, drinking in every moment he had with her, memorizing all the small details of her face. They danced two songs together before they even realized what they had done. It would be improper to dance any more than that, so their time had ended. At the end of the second song, Mr. Darcy bowed and said, “Miss Elizabeth. Thank you for the time you have given me.”

All she could do was nod mutely. She walked over to the edge of the ballroom to sit. Darcy felt terrible that he could not continue to dance with her, but at the same time, he did not think he could bear it if she danced with anyone else. To distract himself, he looked around once again for Caroline. She was still not in the ballroom. Darcy sent a servant to check with her lady’s maid and make sure that all was well.

The servant came back after several minutes to tell Mr. Darcy that he had best come speak with Miss Bingley’s lady’s maid directly. Elizabeth could tell from across the room that something was wrong. She could not just sit passively while things happened around her. She crossed the ballroom and slipped up the stairs behind Darcy and the servant.

***

“What do you mean that she is not here?” Darcy asked Miss Fellowes, Caroline’s lady’s maid.

“I am sorry, sir. I found her room like this, and I have seen no sign of Miss Bingley for hours.”

Darcy surveyed the room. It was ransacked. Clothing and shoes were strewn about, and the large jewelry case that Caroline always kept with her was missing.

“What is going on?” he heard from behind him. He turned around to see Elizabeth staring at the mess.

“Caroline has been missing for some hours. Miss Fellowes found the room like this.” He turned to the servant. “Please send Mr. Bingley up immediately.”

Within moments, Bingley and Jane arrived at Caroline’s room.

“What is this?” asked Bingley.

“There are only two possibilities that I can imagine. Either Caroline has run away, or she has been taken.”

They all looked around. No one imagined that Caroline had left on her own, so their minds turned to the second possibility.

“We must get the constable,” said Bingley. “Which servant can ride the fastest?”

“None can ride faster than me,” said Darcy, grimly. “I will go.”

***

Mr. Bingley had the unenviable job of informing his guests that the ball would be ending early. At first, the small group that knew of Caroline’s disappearance wondered if discretion would not be the best approach to take, but the thought of searching Netherfield with so many other people around seemed overwhelming. Bingley did not give specifics but told his guests that an unexpected situation necessitated the early end of the ball. The gossip began almost immediately. Some people whispered that Mr. Bingley and Miss Bennet had a fight, but few people truly believed that such a pleasant couple would have a disagreement of the magnitude that would necessitate the canceling of a ball. Several people had seen the speed with which Mr. Darcy rode off, so most of the rumors centered around him.

Jane and Elizabeth, who knew the truth of the situation, had no intention of leaving. Mr. Bingley offered the entire Bennet family lodging for the night and ensured that Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, and Kitty were made comfortable in guest rooms. By that time, Darcy had arrived back with the constable.

The constable surveyed the room and asked many questions: was there anyone with whom Miss Bingley had quarreled? Had she seemed nervous over the past few days? Was there anything they could think of that was unusual?

They were genuinely perplexed. There had been the unpleasantness at the engagement dinner, but no one thought that rose to the occasion of causing Miss Bingley to leave of her own will.

Darcy rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I hope that it is not the case that a person who holds animosity toward me has directed his ire at Caroline as a way to injure me.”

Elizabeth looked at Jane nervously. Certainly, she did not like Miss Bingley, but that did not mean she hoped her to come to harm.

A search of the house was undertaken. Servants were interviewed, as were Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. As the sun rose, they were no closer to discovering what happened to Caroline. Jane and Elizabeth finally agreed to get some sleep, although they knew it would be fitful. Mr. Darcy himself took watch outside their bedroom door to see that they were safe. It helped a little, knowing that Darcy was there, but Elizabeth could not find sleep with one thought echoing in her head. Where was Caroline Bingley?

***

“Send Mrs. Fellowes to me,” commanded Darcy from his station outside the Bennets’ room. She was quickly retrieved.

“I know that you feel you have an obligation to keep Miss Bingley’s confidence, but her life may be in danger. If there is any information, no matter how small, that you think could assist us in this, it is imperative that you share it.”

Mrs. Fellowes promptly burst into tears. Darcy handed her his handkerchief and waited.

“Oh, sir, it is too terrible to even say,” she whispered.

“Mrs. Fellowes, you must tell me, no matter how terrible,” said Darcy, his heart beating quickly.

“Miss Bingley is … with child.”

She could have stunned him no less had she slapped him across the face.

“With child? But how could that be? Certainly I never…”

The implication of what she had told him finally became clear.

“Who is the father?”

Mrs. Fellowes continued to look frightened. “I am so sorry, sir. I felt that my obligation was to my mistress.”

“You have nothing to fear, Mrs. Fellowes. Please. Tell me anything that could help us find her.”

“It was an officer of the militia, sir. I believe his name was Mr. Wickham.”

Darcy could finally see the plot clearly. He should have known that Wickham would do anything in his power to ruin him. And what would ruin him more than defiling his fiancée? If the situation was not so dire, he would have laughed. Little did Wickham know that stealing Caroline’s affections was not a way to damage Darcy. He was thankful that no one knew of his feelings for Elizabeth, who slumbered safely at Netherfield. However, that did not change the fact that Caroline was missing. She had to be located.

Darcy had Bingley sent to him.

“I am afraid I have some shocking news to share with you,” he said.

Bingley’s eyes got wide. “Please tell me that Caroline has not been hurt,” he whispered.

“Not physically, but I fear her reputation has been shattered beyond repair. She is with child. It is George Wickham’s.”

Bingley gasped and leaned against the wall. “It cannot be true.”

“Do you know of any reason that Miss Fellowes would lie about such a thing?”

“I cannot think of a reason for her to lie. She certainly will have more difficulty obtaining another position if it is known that her former mistress was disgraced in such a way. I do not think she would say such a thing if it was not true. Darcy, what are we to do?”

“Mrs. Fellowes has a suspicion of where they are heading. She believes them on their way to Gretna Green.”

Such a statement pointed to the fact that Wickham and Caroline might be trying to marry quickly in Scotland and avoid the marriage banns that needed to be read in England.

“Are we to stop them or encourage them?” asked Bingley faintly. “Their marriage would be a travesty, but to have them unmarried would be far worse. How could Caroline bring such shame to our family?”

“I suspect the idea did not arise with her,” said Darcy. “George Wickham is using Caroline to exact revenge on me. I am sorry that I have brought such dishonor to your family.”

“If Caroline has allowed herself to be seduced, it is not you who has dishonored me,” said Bingley firmly.

“We should hasten to Gretna Green. I do not know how this situation will resolve itself, but we should speak to Caroline before she makes any decisions that might further damage her future.”

“It is a credit to you, Darcy, that you continue to consider her wellbeing after the way that she has betrayed you.”

“There is time to deal with that later. Let us ride,” replied Darcy.

***

When Jane and Elizabeth finally awoke from their fitful sleep, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley had already left. Mr. Bingley had written Jane a letter to inform her of what was happening.

_My dearest Jane - _

_While you slept, Darcy discovered news about Caroline. Be warned that what follows is shocking, and please burn this letter after you have read it._

_It appears that Caroline is carrying George Wickham’s child. We do not know how such a terrible thing has come to pass, but we must find Caroline as quickly as we can. Her lady’s maid believes that they head to Gretna Green. By the time you read this, Darcy and I will be in pursuit of the couple._

_Know that I am now, and shall always be, yours._

Jane and Elizabeth shared a worried look. Who knew what villainy a blackguard like Wickham could sow? The sisters began the arduous task of waiting to hear news.


	11. Chapter 11

Darcy and Bingley gambled on the fact that Wickham and Caroline would stay on the main road. They surmised that Wickham would have chosen a carriage, considering Caroline’s delicate situation, and carriages could travel much less quickly on the side roads. There were many inns that had to be checked along this route. Luckily, the fact that Darcy and Bingley were on horseback gave them a large advantage. They hoped to find the couple quickly.

They stopped at each inn, asking whether a young couple had recently rented a room for the evening. The innkeepers were not especially inclined to provide this information, but a liberal application of coin would often loosen their tongue. At the fourth inn, they discovered that a couple that sounded suspiciously like Wickham and Caroline had switched horses, but had not taken a room. This information heartened them that they were at least on the correct trail.

They seemed to lose the trail after their luck at the fourth inn. No one recalled seeing anyone who looked like Wickham or Caroline. They rode through the day and into the evening with no more luck. Finally, that night, Bingley convinced Darcy to let a room.

“We cannot continue riding through exhaustion,” he said, and Darcy knew he was right. They stopped at the next inn and paid for two rooms. Bingley fell asleep almost immediately, but Darcy was unable to relax enough for sleep to find him. He finally gave up and headed downstairs in the hope that a drink would calm him. As he descended the stairs, he nearly ran into a man that was climbing them. The man nodded to Darcy but did not look him in the face as he tried to push past. Unfortunately for Wickham, Darcy recognized him anyway.

“You scoundrel!” growled Darcy, reaching for Wickham. Wickham darted out of the way, sending Darcy off-balance. He stumbled down a stair. Wickham stood above him, with a cruel smirk on his face.

“It is good to see you, Darcy,” he said. “Did you come to wish well to my bride and me?”

Darcy’s aim did not miss a second time, and his fist made contact with Wickham’s cheekbone. He was not, in general, a violent man, but he found this punch extremely satisfying. Wickham tripped over the stair behind him and fell down with a thud. However, before Darcy could make another move, Wickham pulled a pistol out and aimed it directly at him.

“It seems that I have the advantage, old friend,” Wickham said.

“I think not,” said a voice from further up the staircase. Wickham turned around to see Bingley pointing a pistol at him. Darcy saw his chance and quickly knocked the gun out of Wickham’s hand while his attention was elsewhere. Once the pistol was no longer in his hand, Darcy twisted Wickham’s arm behind his back, preventing him from retrieving the gun.

“Impeccable timing, Bingley,” he said. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was,” responded Bingley with a shrug, “but then I heard a commotion in the stairway and came to investigate.”

“Where is Caroline?” said Darcy, twisting Wickham’s arm further. Wickham yelped and directed them to a room upstairs. Darcy took Wickham’s pistol, and the group proceeded to the room.

Bingley opened the door without knocking, and they heard a gasp as Caroline sat up in bed. “Brother!” she gasped, and then her eyes lit on Darcy. Upon looking at him she instantly burst into tears.

Bingley pushed Wickham down into a chair, keeping his pistol trained on him. “Caroline, explain your behavior!”

“Do not,” said Wickham, sullenly. “There is no need to tell them our plans. They cannot stop us. They will not want to stop us!”

Caroline’s sobs increased. “Brother, I am so sorry,” she said. “He told me that he would expose me if I did not help him blackmail Fitzwilliam. I would be ruined! Our family would be ruined!”

“Wickham, this is low, even for you. Corrupting an innocent woman in an attempt to revenge yourself on me?”

Wickham chuckled, unable to take the same advice he gave Caroline. “This one was not much of a challenge. All I had to do was flatter her and you would be shocked at how light her skirt became.”

This earned another punch from Darcy.

“I suppose I deserve that. But listen, Darcy, even you cannot fail to be impressed with this particular plan. I seduced your fiancée. As I said, that was easy enough. What I had not planned on, though, was that she would become with child. She came to me sobbing, telling me that I had to help her. What was so wrong with helping myself along the way?

“Everyone knows that you are engaged to Caroline Bingley. If she were to become with child, people would naturally suppose that you are the father. And if Caroline were to tell people that you refused to marry her after you got what you wanted, how would that look for you, Darcy? You know that people long for a scandal.”

“Of course your plan was blackmail, Wickham. Some things never change.”

Wickham smiled, proud of his scheme. “So I marry Caroline, and you pay us a tidy sum to keep her from telling people that you took advantage of her and then abandoned her once she was ruined.”

“And you agreed to this scheme?” Bingley asked his sister.

“What else was I to do?” she said. “I tried to get Fitzwilliam to agree to a quick marriage, and he would not. I even went so far as to try and seduce him so he would think the child was his, but he would not have me.”

“And my morals certainly saved me in this situation,” said Darcy gravely.

“But here is the best part,” said Wickham with a wide smile. “It does not matter that you found us, or that you know of our plan. Caroline can still ruin you with just one word. You may know about our plot, but it is still in your best interest to give us what we want. In fact, you may wish to escort us to Gretna Green yourselves.”

“Bingley, let us speak on this. You may lower your gun. Mr. Wickham is quite correct that our knowledge of this plot changes nothing.”

“Fitzwilliam, it changes everything!” Caroline cried. “We can still be married. No one will believe Wickham if I swear this child is yours.”

Wickham glared at her.

“Miss Bingley, I have no interest in raising George Wickham’s child, and I have no interest in saving you from a situation of your own making,” Darcy said coldly.

Bingley lowered his pistol and he and Darcy moved to the other side of the room to speak privately.

“I am afraid that I was just extremely ungallant to your sister,” Darcy said.

“As I said before, Caroline has brought this upon herself.”

“I have another confession to make, Bingley. One that I have not uttered to another person, besides the lady in question. I have tried to suppress my feelings, but in light of this situation I no longer can. I have found myself quite in love with Elizabeth Bennet.”

Bingley chuckled. “Did you really think I did not know that?”

“Did Miss Bennet tell you?”

“Jane would never betray her sister’s confidence. It is just the fact that you are much worse at hiding your feelings than you believe yourself to be.”

“And you are not angry with me?”

“My friend, I know that you had every intention of honoring your promise to my sister, who has proven that she is not equally noble. We cannot help whom we love.”

“I see two ways that this situation can resolve itself. I can marry Caroline, accept the child as my own, and denounce Wickham. Or we can, as Wickham says, allow their plan to progress. I am inclined toward the second, but that may be for the most self-interested reasons. I do not want to contribute to the ruination of your family. If you wish me to save Caroline from this, I need you to say the word now.”

“I will not. Wickham is a scoundrel, that is certain, and I do not relish the connection I shall have with him. However, the imprudent marriage of my sister, although fodder for the gossips, will not tarnish the Bingley name anywhere near as much as a child born out of wedlock.”

“Wickham will not agree without a sizable amount of money, which I plan to offer to him. Ten thousand pounds and the mistaken idea that he has taken something dear to me should be what it takes. Are you sure that you are willing to accept him as your brother?”

“Darcy, I have dealt with Mr. Hurst for years. Wickham might even prove diverting,” said Bingley, with a smile.

“So we are agreed. We will ensure the marriage between Wickham and Caroline, which solves one of her problems but may create even more than she can imagine. In return, I will pay Mr. Wickham a sum of ten thousand pounds.”

“It is as happy a result of this sordid situation as is possible,” replied Bingley.

Finished with their conversation, they returned to Wickham, who smiled knowingly at them. “Have you seen the sense of my offer?” he asked.

Darcy gritted his teeth and replied, “We have. Name your price.”

“Twenty thousand pounds.”

“Five.”

“Fifteen thousand.”

“Seven.”

“Ten thousand.”

“Done,” said Darcy. “Now we should get some rest. I will pay for an expedited marriage license for you. Not a single pound will change hands until you are legally wed.”

Bingley and Darcy returned to their rooms. “Do you think that they will run?” asked Bingley.

“I cannot imagine they would,” said Darcy. “They would not risk the loss of money.” He stopped and looked at his friend. “I am so very sorry that your family became involved in this.”

“Caroline is the one who should apologize, not you. However, I suspect that she will be punished more than enough with Wickham for a husband.”

“I fear that is true,” replied Darcy. At this point, they had reached the doors to their rooms. The men shook hands and tried, finally, to get some rest.

The next morning, Bingley sent Jane a letter telling her that Caroline was located and the situation brought to its best possible resolution. Darcy purchased a marriage license, and the following day Wickham and Caroline were wed.

“I cannot believe that you are making me go through with this,” she said bitterly to Mr. Darcy. “The only reason that I turned to Wickham was because you were always so cold to me. If you had loved me more, this would never have happened.”

“If you had kept your promises, this would never have happened,” replied Darcy coldly. “This situation is of your own making.”

Bingley and Darcy served as the witnesses to the wedding. Afterward, the entire party began the long and awkward trip back to Netherfield.


	12. Chapter 12

Darcy stayed at Netherfield only long enough to change his clothes and his mount before he headed directly for Longbourn to tell Elizabeth the miraculous news. He was free to marry the woman that he loved.

Kitty ran into the sitting room. “Jane! Lizzy! None other than Mr. Darcy has just ridden up!”

Jane and Elizabeth, anxious to hear what had happened, met him at the door.

“I know that there are many questions that need answers,” he said. “I will explain as much as I can. However, before I do that, I would like to state that my engagement is no longer; my fiancée has chosen to marry another man. With that being said, might I have a moment to speak with Miss Elizabeth alone?”

Even Mrs. Bennet knew better than to ask questions. The entire household seemed to disappear, leaving Elizabeth and Darcy alone. Elizabeth knew (and suspected that Darcy did as well) that the female members of the house were waiting with their ears to the door to hear what was said.

“Is it true?” she asked. “Are you free?”

“Not free, nor do I wish to be,” he said. “From this moment on I am yours if you will have me.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “There is nothing in this world that I wish for more than to marry you.”

“Then our fondest wishes are in concert.” He lifted her hand to his mouth, and this time the kiss on her hand lingered. Elizabeth blushed prettily, unable to believe the turn of events in just a few days.

“What happened?” she asked. “How did this come to be?”

Darcy did not want this part overheard by eager ears. He pulled her over to the settee on the other side of the room and sat down, never letting go of her hand.

“Mr. Wickham finally maneuvered a situation that he could not get free of. In an attempt to revenge himself on me, he seduced Caroline. All he had to do was flatter her, which is something he has a special skill at.”

Elizabeth nodded; she had been the recipient of Mr. Wickham’s flattery.

“However, neither of them planned on her becoming with child.”

She could not refrain from gasping. Darcy squeezed her hand gently and continued.

“Once she was in trouble, she made the mistake of turning to him once again for help. He convinced her that I would abandon her as soon as I found out about her situation, and that her only way out of public humiliation was marriage to him. After that, he intended to blackmail me by threatening to tell people that I was the father of the child and that I had left her when I found out. He believed that this threat would keep me paying him for quite a long time. In addition, he would be married into the Bingleys’ wealth. It was an audacious plan, and one that did not entirely fail. I was willing to pay to induce him to actually marry Caroline, which he has. I kept this from him, but I would have paid him any amount for the freedom to marry my love.”

Elizabeth was overwhelmed by the entire story. “So they are wed?”

“Bingley and I witnessed it ourselves.”

“Poor Mr. Bingley, with a brother in marriage like Wickham!”

“Bingley may seem amiable above all else, but he has a strong enough will that I think Wickham will not test him. In fact, Bingley held Wickham at gunpoint.”

“I cannot imagine sweet Mr. Bingley reacting in such a way!”

“Can you not, toward the man that ruined his sister?”

“I suppose that would incite the calmest of men.”

“It will be in Wickham’s best interest to keep the peace. Marrying Caroline Bingley is a step up for him, and he will not want to risk losing the benefits of marrying into that family.”

“This has been such a sordid mess.”

“I am sorry that you were exposed to treachery such as Mr. Wickham’s.”

“I am sorry that you were exposed to unfaithfulness such as Miss Bingley’s.”

“Ah, that I can never feel sorry about. If it were not for Caroline’s fickleness, I would be chained to her for the remainder of my life. But now, I am free to marry the woman that I love.”

They looked at each other, reveling in the fact that what had seemed impossible just days before was now a reality. Darcy reached up and cupped Elizabeth’s cheek.

“You have bewitched me, body and soul,” he whispered, “and I wish to never be parted from you again.”

A tear ran down her cheek. “And so you will not, my love,” she whispered back.

After taking another moment just for themselves, they opened the door to the sitting room to let in the very anxious women on the other side.

“If you will pardon me, ladies,” he said, with a bow. “I must speak with Mr. Bennet on urgent business.”

The Bennet women crowded around Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet was a mixture of confused and elated.

“Did Mr. Darcy just make an offer to you?” she asked Elizabeth breathlessly.

“Yes,” she replied with a smile. “And I accepted.”

“I do not understand,” said Kitty. “What happened with Miss Bingley? And when did you warm to Mr. Darcy? I thought you disliked him immensely.”

“I admit,” said Elizabeth, “that I was prejudiced against him before I came to know what a fine man he truly is. Now that I do know him, I know that I could not possibly ask for anything more than him.”

The door to Mr. Bennet’s study opened and she heard her father calling her. Darcy stepped out and gave her a small smile. She hoped that was a good sign.

“Close the door, Lizzy,” said Mr. Bennet gravely. She did as he asked. “I assume you know why Mr. Darcy just asked to speak with me?”

“I do.”

“And I also assume that you have given your consent prior to him asking me?”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Thirdly, I assume that none of that would have happened if he did not have an honorable reason for the end of his previous engagement.”

“He does.”

“Lizzy, I thought you detested Mr. Darcy.”

“I was wrong, Papa. I misjudged him. He is not the arrogant man I thought him to be. When Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and I spent time with him at Pemberley, he was so very much different. It was just the case that I judged him before I truly knew him. My prejudice nearly kept me from knowing the man that I now love.”

“And this has nothing to do with money?”

“Not a bit. I would marry him if he was a pauper.”

“I think you will find life much more comfortable with Mr. Darcy as he is right now, rather than destitute.”

“Does that mean you give your consent, Papa?”

“Do you truly love him?”

“With all my heart.”

“Then I heartily give my consent. Know that I would not have parted with you for one less worthy.”

Elizabeth rushed over and hugged her father, delighted for his approval.

“Now go. Tell your fiancé.”

Darcy waited for her in the drawing room. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty sat on the settee, staring at him. Jane had picked up her embroidery in order not to further embarrass him.

Elizabeth walked into the room, smiled, and nodded her head. Darcy was quickly up out of his seat and he lifted and twirled her before he realized what he had done. Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth’s sisters crowded around the couple to congratulate them.

Jane embraced her sister and smiled at her.

“Suddenly, the idea of a double wedding seems much more charming,” she said.


	13. Chapter 13

Mrs. Bennet pushed hard for special licenses, but Jane, Elizabeth, and their fiancés were entirely happy to wait for the banns to be read. This ensured that Mary and Lydia had the time to travel to see their sisters wed.

Lydia was little changed by her trip to Brighton. She told her sisters that she had two officers who were very fond of her and she would not be a bit surprised if she received offers from both of them. Jane and Elizabeth tried to counsel her that her current course of behavior was damaging to her reputation and that she should not encourage two men at the same time unless she wanted to be considered an irredeemable flirt.

“The way you two worry! There is nothing shameful in being so charming that more than one man wishes to take you for his wife. Not that you two would know, accepting the first man that asks. However, if your future husbands were to have any wealthy friends who are in need of an agreeable young wife, I might be able to set aside my preference for a regimental.”

Elizabeth and Jane both agreed, privately, that they had no intention of introducing Lydia to any single friends of Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy—ever.

Mr. Darcy brought Georgiana to stay at Netherfield for several days prior to the wedding. Georgiana was very uncomfortable around Mrs. Wickham. She knew that it was her intervention that had caused her brother to propose in the first place, and she was ashamed at how easily she had been fooled by a false friend. Georgiana was delighted, however, to trade one false sister for five true ones. Elizabeth extended her every kindness, and Georgiana found a dear friend in Kitty. Darcy very much approved of his sister forming a friendship with Elizabeth’s sister. Kitty was made better for the friendship, as well, and was much less susceptible to Lydia’s manipulation.

As for Mr. and Mrs. Wickham, they were unabashed in their behavior. Mrs. Wickham had no intention of losing any social stature due to her mistakes, and so she retained her air of superiority and spoke highly of her husband to anyone who asked. In fact, Mr. Wickham suited her nature far better than Mr. Darcy had. Their mutual concern for their improvement in society led to increased opportunities for them - however, whether they were able to keep these acquaintances after their true personalities were revealed was another matter entirely.

***

The day of the wedding arrived quickly. Jane and Elizabeth reveled in helping one another prepare for the ceremony, donning their finest dresses and weaving flowers through their hair. Never have there been two brides who were more agreeable or charming, for both sisters shined with true love. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy exchanged glances as their brides entered the church. Whoever would have imagined that Bingley letting an estate in Hertfordshire would lead both of them to love?

The ceremony was over quickly, and the Bingleys and the Darcys were cheered by all of those in attendance. Mrs. Bennet had made quite a mess of Mr. Bennet’s handkerchief in her joy, but even he was feeling predisposed to happiness on that day and did not so much as mention it.

The Bingleys had invited the Darcys to stay at Netherfield, and although they were anxious to return to Pemberley, they availed themselves of this offer for several days. Mr. Darcy opened the door of the carriage to his wife and extended his hand to help her enter. As she placed her hand in his, he was reminded of the day at Netherfield, which seemed so long ago, when he helped her alight the carriage after Jane’s illness. The sparkle in her eyes this time was worlds away from the distrust that he had seen on the previous occasion. Darcy settled next to Elizabeth in the carriage, turned to her, and kissed her in exactly the manner he had been dreaming of since that day. And never, before or since, has there been a couple as incandescently happy.


End file.
